A lot has been stated in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the online version of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in appeal with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law throughout UK.
No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo parlours. Numbers have dropped and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers realise that they can play bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and fag and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.