A lot has been reported in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the internet adaptation of this classic game present a reprieve, or might it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an ancient game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and fag and still have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.
