An abundance has been stated in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However does the web adaptation of this classic game offer a escape, or might it in no way compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an familiar game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the smoking ban across England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular locations where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Obviously they have not deserted this classic game?
The answer is on the net. Players know that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and smoke and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the web is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the law has left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.