Much has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the anti smoking law in the UK. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However does the internet version of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo has been an established game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti smoking law throughout United Kingdom.
No more will players be permitted to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite locations where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t forgotten this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Players realize that they can participate in bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and fag and in the end, enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the internet could never replace the communal portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.