A lot has been written in the papers recently about the bingo industry struggling because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But does the web variation of this classic game present a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an ancient game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the introduction of the anti smoking law throughout UK.
No longer will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common places where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is online. Gamblers know that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and fag and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the internet will never replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no choice.