Much has been stated in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. But can the online adaptation of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or might it in no way compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had experienced a recent increase in appeal with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the legislating of the anti cigarette law around UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular areas where many people like to smoke.
The results of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can play bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing online will never replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.