A lot has been written in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the cigarette ban in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the internet variation of this quintessential game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an established game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had experienced a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.
No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common locations where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is online. People realize that they can gamble on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and fag and still enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the internet will never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the rules have left many bingo players with no alternative.