A lot has been reported in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the internet adaptation of this traditional game offer a salvation, or might it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had experienced a recent increase in appeal with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law around Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite locations where many people like to smoke.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not abandoned this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. Players know that they can enjoy bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.