Could the Anti Cigarette Law in England Drive Bingo Players On to the Internet?
Much has been reported in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in the United Kingdom. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However can the online version of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its land based relative?
Bingo has been an familiar game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent return in acceptance with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the cigarette ban throughout Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite places where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not given up on this enduring game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can wager on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and still enjoy big prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with little choice.