Could the Anti Smoking Law in Britain Drive Bingo Players On to the Internet?
Much has been talked in the press not long ago about the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the online adaptation of this quintessential game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo has been an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlors rather than the discos on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enacting of the cigarette ban around England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite areas where players enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Players know that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and fag and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the web will never replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no choice.