Much has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But can the web adaptation of this classic game offer a reprieve, or might it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo has been an enduring game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti cigarette law throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not cast aside this age old game?
The answer is on the net. People know that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left a number of bingo players with little option.