An abundance has been stated in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But does the web version of this traditional game present a reprieve, or might it in no way compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an age old game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored areas where players like to smoke.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players know that they can play bingo from their computer while enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the internet will never replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.