An abundance has been stated in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However can the net variation of this classic game provide a reprieve, or will it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo has been an established game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had experienced a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the anti smoking law all over United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular locations where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they haven’t deserted this familiar game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and smoke and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online can never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.