An abundance has been stated in the press recently concerning the bingo industry struggling because of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to help keep the businesses alive. However will the online version of this traditional game present a salvation, or will it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo has been an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti cigarette law all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common areas where people enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t forgotten this ancient game?
The answer is on the web. People know that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on online is unlikely to replace the social portion of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.