An abundance has been talked in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However can the internet variation of this traditional game provide a escape, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo is an enduring game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had witnessed a recent return in popularity with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlours instead of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti smoking law all over Britain.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and fag and still enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the web will never replace the social aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.