An abundance has been written in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the net version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or might it not compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an age old game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
No more will players be allowed to smoke whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favorite locations where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not given up on this classic game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little choice.