An abundance has been talked in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the online variation of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or might it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an age old game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had witnessed a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the smoking ban across UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored places where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t deserted this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can participate in bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.