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A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to help keep the businesses alive. But can the online version of this quintessential game present a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an classic game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the smoking ban around Britain.
No more will players be permitted to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can participate in bingo from their computer while enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on online can never replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.
