Much has been stated in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the internet version of this traditional game present a reprieve, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo has been an age old game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can wager on bingo from their computer while enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the web can never replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a good many bingo players with little choice.
