Much has been reported in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the web adaptation of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or might it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an enduring game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had seen a recent comeback in popularity with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti cigarette law throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they have not cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the internet. People know that they can enjoy bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and fag and still have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little choice.