A lot has been talked in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the industry afloat. However does the web adaptation of this traditional game present a reprieve, or might it never compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the cigarette ban around Britain.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Certainly they haven’t deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realise that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.