Can the Smoking Ban in the United Kingdom Force Bingo Players Online?
A lot has been stated in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But can the net version of this quintessential game provide a reprieve, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo has been an classic game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had experienced a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the legislating of the smoking ban across United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common locations where players like to smoke.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is online. Gamblers are now realizing that they can play bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left many bingo players with little choice.