A lot has been reported in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But will the web version of this quintessential game offer a reprieve, or might it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an age old game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had seen a recent comeback in appeal with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over Britain.
No longer will players be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite areas where players enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t forgotten this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. People know that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net can never replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with no alternative.