A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But can the internet adaptation of this quintessential game present a salvation, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
No more will players be able to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t deserted this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can play bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the web will never replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left many bingo players with little alternative.