A lot has been reported in the press not long ago about the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the web version of this traditional game offer a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the enacting of the anti smoking law around England and Wales.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Numbers have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not deserted this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Players realize that they can bet on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing on the net could never replace the social part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with no option.