Much has been stated in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the web adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an classic game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite places where people like to smoke.
The results of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t given up on this classic game?
The answer is online. Players realise that they can enjoy bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and in the end, enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.