A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However can the net version of this traditional game offer a salvation, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had undergone a recent comeback in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the smoking ban around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favored locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Players realise that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and still enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.