Might the Smoking Ban in the UK Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Net?
An abundance has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to help keep the industry afloat. However can the net variation of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an familiar game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had undergone a recent comeback in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban across England and Wales.
No more will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular locations where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Of course they have not given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. Players are now realizing that they can play bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and still have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the web could never replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.