A lot has been reported in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax cuts to help keep the industry afloat. But can the online variation of this quintessential game present a lifeline, or will it not compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an ancient game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had experienced a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti smoking law around UK.
No more will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite areas where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this classic game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can play bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cigarette and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the internet could never replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.