Much has been written in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the industry alive. However will the internet variation of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban all over Britain.
No longer will gamblers be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite places where people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Of course they have not abandoned this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Players realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the net can never replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the law has left a good many bingo players with no option.