Much has been written in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the businesses afloat. However does the internet variation of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an classic game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had witnessed a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlors in place of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the legislating of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite places where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Of course they have not abandoned this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realise that they can enjoy bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web can never replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no choice.