Much has been written in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However does the internet adaptation of this quintessential game provide a escape, or might it in no way compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
Players will no longer be able to smoke whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where players like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on online can never replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.