A lot has been talked in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. But can the internet adaptation of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo is an familiar game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in appeal with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law across Britain.
No more will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not cast aside this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on online is unlikely to replace the social part of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.