A lot has been stated in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the net version of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo has been an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had seen a recent return in popularity with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over United Kingdom.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can wager on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the web will never replace the communal part of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left many bingo players with no option.
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