A lot has been written in the press recently about the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the web adaptation of this traditional game provide a salvation, or might it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo has been an age old game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had witnessed a recent increase in popularity with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout Britain.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where players enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. People realise that they can bet on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo players with little choice.