A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the cigarette ban in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However will the internet version of this classic game offer a escape, or might it in no way compare to its real life relative?
Bingo is an classic game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law throughout England and Wales.
No longer will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored locations where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they have not abandoned this classic game?
The answer is on the web. People realize that they can participate in bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and fag and in the end, enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the web will never replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the rules have left a good many bingo players with little option.