A lot has been talked in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But will the net variation of this classic game provide a reprieve, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an age old game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the cigarette ban across United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored places where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Numbers have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they have not abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the internet. People are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, have a chance at big prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the net will never replace the collective portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.
