An abundance has been reported in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling because of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to help keep the industry alive. But can the net version of this classic game present a salvation, or might it never compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent comeback in appeal with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the legislating of the anti cigarette law all over United Kingdom.
No more will players be able to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realise that they can gamble on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still have a chance at massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing online will never replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo players with little alternative.