Much has been stated in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the cigarette ban in the UK. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to help keep the industry afloat. However will the online adaptation of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or might it not compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an ancient game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had experienced a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favored locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not deserted this enduring game?
The answer is online. Players realize that they can enjoy bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and smoke and still enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with no option.