An abundance has been reported in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But will the online variation of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its land based relative?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti smoking law across Britain.
Players will no longer be able to smoke whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can play bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the law has left many bingo players with no choice.