An abundance has been talked in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the online variation of this traditional game offer a salvation, or will it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had experienced a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the enacting of the cigarette ban all over England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite areas where players like to smoke.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this established game?
The answer is on the net. Players realize that they can play bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cig and still have a chance at big prizes. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.