Much has been talked in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the internet variation of this quintessential game present a reprieve, or might it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had witnessed a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke while dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no alternative.