Much has been reported in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the web adaptation of this traditional game provide a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its land based kin?
Bingo has been an age old game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had undergone a recent return in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the enacting of the smoking ban across United Kingdom.
No longer will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular locations where people like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t forgotten this established game?
The answer is on the net. People realize that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and smoke and still enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little choice.