Much has been written in the papers recently about the bingo industry struggling because of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But will the online variation of this quintessential game offer a escape, or will it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an age old game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had experienced a recent return in popularity with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti cigarette law throughout England and Wales.
No more will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cig and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.