An abundance has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However does the web variation of this classic game offer a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular places where players enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Numbers have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and fag and still enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.