A lot has been talked in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the net variation of this classic game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti smoking law throughout United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common places where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling 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 know that they can bet on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at big prizes. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no choice.