An abundance has been stated in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry struggling because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But can the online version of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an familiar game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti smoking law across Britain.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they haven’t given up on this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Players know that they can gamble on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and still enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on online will never replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left a good many bingo players with no choice.