An abundance has been talked in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to help keep the businesses alive. However does the net version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or might it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an classic game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had seen a recent comeback in popularity with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the cigarette ban all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not deserted this established game?
The answer is online. Gamblers realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and fag and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the web will never replace the collective portion of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with little choice.