Might the Cigarette Ban in Britain Force Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?
An abundance has been reported in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in the United Kingdom. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big aid to help keep the industry alive. However can the web variation of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or will it not compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlors rather than the discos on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law around England and Wales.
No longer will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite places where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they haven’t deserted this ancient game?
The answer is online. Gamblers know that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the web could never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little choice.