A lot has been reported in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the net version of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent comeback in appeal with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favored locations where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t forgotten this age old game?
The answer is online. People are now realizing that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and smoke and still enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on online will never replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little option.