A lot has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the web adaptation of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an established game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had undergone a recent comeback in appeal with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti smoking law across England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common areas where people like to smoke.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realize that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and smoke and still enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the internet can never replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.
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