A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But will the internet variation of this classic game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an established game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti smoking law throughout United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favored places where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Of course they have not forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Players know that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and still have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.