A lot has been written in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the internet version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or will it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo is an established game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had experienced a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti smoking law all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored areas where people like to smoke.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have dropped and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this familiar game?
The answer is on the internet. People know that they can gamble on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cig and still enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the web could never replace the collective part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.