Much has been reported in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the internet version of this classic game present a escape, or might it not compare to its real life relative?
Bingo is an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the smoking ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t forgotten this classic game?
The answer is online. Gamblers realize that they can play bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and still enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.