An abundance has been written in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However will the internet adaptation of this classic game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an established game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had experienced a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the anti smoking law around England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the net. Players are now realizing that they can enjoy bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the web can never replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.