A lot has been talked in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But can the internet adaptation of this traditional game present a escape, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had experienced a recent return in acceptance with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti cigarette law throughout Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common locations where people like to smoke.
The results of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t given up on this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players know that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and fag and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on online can never replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no alternative.