Much has been written in the papers just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry alive. But can the internet adaptation of this classic game present a lifeline, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an classic game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law throughout United Kingdom.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite areas where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they haven’t deserted this age old game?
The answer is online. People know that they can enjoy bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the net is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the law has left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.