A lot has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax breaks to help keep the industry afloat. However can the web version of this traditional game offer a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an established game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over Britain.
No more will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite areas where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Certainly they have not cast aside this established game?
The answer is online. People realise that they can enjoy bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cigarette and still have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.
