A lot has been reported in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in the UK. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. However does the net version of this classic game present a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had seen a recent comeback in appeal with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the legislating of the smoking ban across Britain.
No more will players be permitted to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public place will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common areas where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the web. People are now realizing that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, have a chance at big prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the internet could never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with little option.