An abundance has been stated in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the industry alive. But can the net version of this traditional game offer a escape, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had undergone a recent increase in appeal with younger people opting to go to the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the cigarette ban throughout UK.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realise that they can enjoy bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the social part of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.