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Much has been written in the press just a while ago concerning the bingo industry struggling because of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the internet variation of this classic game offer a escape, or will it never compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had seen a recent return in appeal with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti cigarette law around England and Wales.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can play bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the internet could never replace the collective part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with little alternative.
