An abundance has been stated in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However does the internet version of this classic game present a reprieve, or will it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an established game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti smoking law throughout UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favorite locations where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this age old game?
The answer is on the net. People realize that they can bet on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and fag and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the net will never replace the collective part of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with no option.