A lot has been talked in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the web adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it not compare to its real life kin?
Bingo is an age old game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent comeback in appeal with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Players are now realizing that they can bet on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cigarette and still have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on online could never replace the communal aspect of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no option.