Much has been stated in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the online variation of this classic game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti smoking law all over England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common places where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they have not abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and fag and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo players with little alternative.
