A lot has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But will the net variation of this quintessential game present a escape, or might it not compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
No longer will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular locations where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this established game?
The answer is on the net. Players realise that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and still have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the internet can never replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little option.