A lot has been stated in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax breaks to help keep the businesses alive. However can the net variation of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or might it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had experienced a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban around UK.
No longer will players be permitted to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favored locations where many people like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the net. Players know that they can participate in bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the web can never replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.