A lot has been stated in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the smoking ban in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. But does the internet adaptation of this traditional game present a salvation, or might it not compare to its land based relative?
Bingo has been an established game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enacting of the anti cigarette law around Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common areas where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. People realize that they can wager on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and still enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the web will never replace the communal portion of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the rules have left many bingo players with no alternative.