Much has been written in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However does the internet version of this classic game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an ancient game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti smoking law throughout Britain.
No more will enthusiasts be permitted to smoke while marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite places where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Numbers have dropped and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers are now realizing that they can bet on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the net is unlikely to replace the collective part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.