A lot has been written in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the online variation of this quintessential game provide a reprieve, or will it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an classic game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent return in appeal with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law around UK.
No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to smoke whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common areas where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t cast aside this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on online could never replace the collective part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no option.
