A lot has been talked in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However does the internet variation of this traditional game present a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an established game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to smoke whilst marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular places where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t given up on this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. People know that they can enjoy bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the web can never replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.