A lot has been written in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax cuts to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the web variation of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo is an classic game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti smoking law throughout UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favored areas where players enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers are now realizing that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no option.