A lot has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the online variation of this quintessential game present a reprieve, or will it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo has been an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had experienced a recent return in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across UK.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke while marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they have not abandoned this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Players realize that they can play bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.