Jan 012026
An abundance has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the net adaptation of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its land based kin?
Bingo has been an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had undergone a recent return in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favorite locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t abandoned this age old game?
The answer is online. People know that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and cig and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the internet could never replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with little choice.
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