Could the Anti Cigarette Law in the United Kingdom Take Bingo Players On to the Web?
An abundance has been reported in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses alive. But does the internet version of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it never compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent increase in acceptance with younger people deciding to visit the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the smoking ban across UK.
No more will players be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite places where people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they have not forgotten this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. People realize that they can play bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left many bingo players with little alternative.