A lot has been reported in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. But will the internet adaptation of this classic game offer a escape, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an enduring game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Certainly they haven’t deserted this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can bet on bingo from their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the net can never replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.