Much has been reported in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry struggling because of the cigarette ban in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the online adaptation of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo has been an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had witnessed a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban across UK.
No more will gamblers be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most common areas where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t given up on this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can play bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and smoke and still enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web could never replace the communal aspect of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with no option.