Will the Cigarette Ban in England Drive Bingo Players Online?
An abundance has been reported in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But will the web version of this classic game offer a reprieve, or might it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo has been an ancient game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had experienced a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlors instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the smoking ban throughout UK.
No longer will gamblers be able to smoke at the same time marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plunged and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. People know that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and in the end, enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the web could never replace the collective portion of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.