An abundance has been reported in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But can the online version of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to change with the introduction of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite places where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they have not given up on this age old game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can play bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and fag and in the end, enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.