A lot has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the net variation of this quintessential game provide a escape, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an enduring game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the introduction of the cigarette ban all over England and Wales.
No more will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite places where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t deserted this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.
