Much has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But does the online variation of this traditional game present a reprieve, or might it never compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an familiar game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game recently had seen a recent return in popularity with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo parlours rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over UK.
No longer will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t given up on this ancient game?
The answer is online. People are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online will never replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.
