Much has been reported in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However will the internet version of this quintessential game present a escape, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the introduction of the cigarette ban around England and Wales.
No more will players be permitted to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.