Much has been written in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But can the online adaptation of this classic game present a escape, or will it never compare to its real life relative?
Bingo is an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent comeback in appeal with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban around England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored areas where players like to smoke.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Surely they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Players are now realizing that they can play bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a drink and fag and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the net will never replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.
