Might the Smoking Ban in Britain Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?
Much has been talked in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the web variation of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo has been an familiar game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had witnessed a recent comeback in appeal with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the cigarette ban around England and Wales.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most common locations where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Surely they have not given up on this established game?
The answer is on the net. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and fag and in the end, enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with no alternative.