An abundance has been talked in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the online variation of this classic game offer a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law throughout Britain.
No more will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realise that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the collective part of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.