Much has been talked in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However does the net adaptation of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it never compare to its land based relative?
Bingo has been an age old game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban across United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite places where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Players know that they can gamble on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the web will never replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo players with little choice.
