Much has been talked in the press recently concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the internet version of this classic game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an established game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored places where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not forgotten this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realise that they can play bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with no option.
