A lot has been written in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the cigarette ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the net version of this classic game present a reprieve, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an classic game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had witnessed a recent increase in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.
No more will players be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favored areas where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Of course they have not cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is on the web. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and fag and still enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.