Much has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in the UK. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the internet adaptation of this classic game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game recently had seen a recent return in appeal with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the smoking ban across United Kingdom.
No more will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Of course they have not deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on online is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left a good many bingo players with little choice.