A lot has been reported in the press recently about the bingo industry struggling because of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the online version of this traditional game provide a lifeline, or might it not compare to its real life kin?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours rather than the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the legislating of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favored areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not deserted this ancient game?
The answer is online. People realise that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal part of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with little choice.