A lot has been written in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the internet version of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or might it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an classic game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had witnessed a recent comeback in appeal with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law around UK.
No more will players be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public place will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. Players realise that they can play bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and fag and in the end, enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with no option.