An abundance has been written in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the net version of this classic game present a salvation, or might it in no way compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the cigarette ban across UK.
No more will gamblers be able to smoke at the same time marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Of course they haven’t given up on this age old game?
The answer is online. People know that they can participate in bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.