A lot has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. But can the internet adaptation of this traditional game provide a lifeline, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an familiar game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law across UK.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common areas where folks like to smoke.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not cast aside this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Players realise that they can bet on bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and smoke and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with little choice.