Much has been written in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the online variation of this classic game offer a escape, or might it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo has been an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had seen a recent return in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the anti smoking law all over UK.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t given up on this established game?
The answer is online. Players realise that they can bet on bingo using their computer while enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.