Much has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses afloat. But can the online version of this classic game provide a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life relative?
Bingo is an age old game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had undergone a recent comeback in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be able to smoke while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite locations where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t abandoned this classic game?
The answer is online. Players realise that they can enjoy bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the net could never replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.