A lot has been written in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the web variation of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or might it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an familiar game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the web. People realise that they can play bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and cigarette and still have a chance at huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the net can never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.