An abundance has been talked in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However does the online adaptation of this quintessential game provide a escape, or will it never compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an established game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent return in popularity with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to change with the introduction of the anti smoking law around UK.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they have not forgotten this age old game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.