Much has been stated in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax cuts to help keep the industry alive. However can the online adaptation of this quintessential game offer a reprieve, or might it not compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had experienced a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the legislating of the smoking ban all over United Kingdom.
No longer will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not forgotten this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers know that they can participate in bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing online could never replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.