An abundance has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But will the net version of this traditional game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had witnessed a recent comeback in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti smoking law around England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the web. Players know that they can gamble on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the net could never replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.