Much has been reported in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry struggling because of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive tax cuts to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the web version of this classic game offer a salvation, or will it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an age old game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban throughout UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where folks like to smoke.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this age old game?
The answer is on the internet. People are now realizing that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left many bingo players with little option.