An abundance has been talked in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However will the web version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an enduring game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls in place of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the introduction of the cigarette ban around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite locations where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t forgotten this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. People know that they can play bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with little option.