A lot has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But will the net version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an age old game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent return in acceptance with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the cigarette ban across United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where people like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t given up on this ancient game?
The answer is online. People realise that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at monstrous prizes. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the net can never replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.