An abundance has been stated in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax breaks to help keep the industry alive. But can the net version of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an age old game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the legislating of the smoking ban all over UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public place will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common locations where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t cast aside this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. People know that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the web is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.