Much has been talked in the press not long ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But does the net variation of this classic game provide a reprieve, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an enduring game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game recently had witnessed a recent increase in popularity with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t cast aside this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.