A lot has been written in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But does the net variation of this traditional game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its land based kin?
Bingo has been an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society 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 enforcement of the anti smoking law around UK.
Players will no longer be able to smoke at the same time marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t forgotten this familiar game?
The answer is online. Gamblers are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer while enjoying a drink and fag and still enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on online is unlikely to replace the communal part of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a number of bingo players with no option.
