Much has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the web version of this classic game present a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t deserted this established game?
The answer is on the net. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and still enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the net is unlikely to replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little choice.
