Much has been talked in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But does the net adaptation of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had experienced a recent return in acceptance with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the cigarette ban across Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public place will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common places where folks like to smoke.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers know that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on online will never replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.