Much has been written in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the web variation of this classic game present a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an established game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had undergone a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors in place of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the smoking ban around UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlors. Profits have dropped and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can wager on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing online can never replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.