An abundance has been talked in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the net version of this quintessential game present a escape, or might it in no way compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo has been an age old game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had experienced a recent comeback in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors rather than the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti smoking law across Britain.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common locations where people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the web. Players realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and fag and still enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing online will never replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.
