Can the Smoking Ban in England Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?
A lot has been talked in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the industry afloat. However can the net variation of this classic game offer a escape, or will it in no way compare to its land based relative?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had undergone a recent return in appeal with younger people opting to visit the bingo halls rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the cigarette ban across UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this age old game?
The answer is on the web. People are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo players with little choice.