An abundance has been reported in the papers recently about the bingo industry struggling because of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to help keep the businesses alive. However does the net version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or might it not compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an age old game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent return in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law throughout UK.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common locations where folks like to smoke.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cig and still enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on online is unlikely to replace the social portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no option.