Much has been written in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the businesses alive. But does the net version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti smoking law across England and Wales.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public place will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where players like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and cigarette and in the end, enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with no option.