A lot has been reported in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the net variation of this classic game provide a escape, or will it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law across Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where folks like to smoke.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the web could never replace the collective part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no option.