A lot has been reported in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the industry alive. However does the web variation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo has been an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite places where players like to smoke.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Of course they have not deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. People realise that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cigarette and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing online could never replace the collective part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.