Much has been reported in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the net version of this quintessential game present a reprieve, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an familiar game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had witnessed a recent return in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti smoking law around UK.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular places where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t deserted this established game?
The answer is on the web. Players are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.