Much has been talked in the press not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the net adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo has been an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had experienced a recent increase in popularity with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law throughout UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t abandoned this classic game?
The answer is online. Gamblers realize that they can play bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and still enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the net could never replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo players with no choice.