An abundance has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in the UK. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the net variation of this traditional game provide a salvation, or will it never compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an age old game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the cigarette ban all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Certainly they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is online. Players realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with no option.