A lot has been written in the press not long ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in England. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. However will the internet version of this classic game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo has been an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti cigarette law around England and Wales.
No longer will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular areas where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is online. Gamblers realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the web will never replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.