An abundance has been reported in the press recently about the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But will the internet version of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had seen a recent comeback in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the anti smoking law around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored locations where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not given up on this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers know that they can bet on bingo from their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing online can never replace the collective portion of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.
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