A lot has been reported in the papers recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the online variation of this quintessential game offer a reprieve, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo is an ancient game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent comeback in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti smoking law across Britain.
No longer will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can wager on bingo from their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on online will never replace the collective portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left a number of bingo players with no choice.