Much has been stated in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the web variation of this classic game offer a salvation, or might it never compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo has been an established game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the smoking ban throughout Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not abandoned this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realise that they can participate in bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and smoke and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.