A lot has been stated in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the internet adaptation of this traditional game provide a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law throughout UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public place will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favorite places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Numbers have dropped and the business is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers are now realizing that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and fag and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing on the net is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left a lot of bingo players with little choice.