Much has been reported in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But will the net adaptation of this quintessential game offer a escape, or will it not compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an enduring game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had experienced a recent comeback in popularity with younger people deciding to hit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the cigarette ban around Britain.
No more will players be able to smoke while dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most common places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Certainly they have not abandoned this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Players know that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and fag and in the end, enjoy big prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with little choice.