An abundance has been stated in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in the UK. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the online version of this traditional game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law throughout United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common places where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Certainly they have not forgotten this enduring game?
The answer is online. People are now realizing that they can participate in bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the internet could never replace the collective part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left a lot of bingo players with little choice.
