A lot has been written in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the internet adaptation of this traditional game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the cigarette ban around UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not abandoned this age old game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on online will never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.