An abundance has been reported in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However will the online version of this classic game provide a salvation, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an familiar game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had experienced a recent comeback in popularity with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlors instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the anti smoking law across Britain.
No more will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Certainly they have not forgotten this age old game?
The answer is on the net. People know that they can gamble on bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and cig and still have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective part of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.