An abundance has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the online version of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo has been an classic game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout Britain.
No more will players be permitted to smoke while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular places where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t forgotten this classic game?
The answer is online. Gamblers are now realizing that they can play bingo from their computer while enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, enjoy big prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the internet could never replace the collective aspect of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.