An abundance has been reported in the press recently about the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses alive. However can the online adaptation of this traditional game provide a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had witnessed a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law throughout England and Wales.
No more will enthusiasts be permitted to smoke while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the industry is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can wager on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the social aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no choice.