An abundance has been stated in the press just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax cuts to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the online version of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or will it never compare to its land based relative?
Bingo has been an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had witnessed a recent comeback in appeal with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti cigarette law throughout United Kingdom.
No longer will gamblers be able to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored locations where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. People realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and still have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.