A lot has been written in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the industry alive. However does the web variation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or will it not compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an ancient game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game recently had undergone a recent resurgence in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the cigarette ban across United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing online could never replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.