Much has been reported in the press recently about the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the online version of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it never compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had witnessed a recent return in popularity with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.
Players will no longer be able to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most common locations where many people like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not forgotten this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers know that they can wager on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the internet can never replace the social portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo players with no choice.
