A lot has been written in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However does the online version of this classic game present a lifeline, or will it not compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an ancient game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban around United Kingdom.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t forgotten this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Players realize that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left a good many bingo players with no option.
