An abundance has been talked in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax cuts to help keep the businesses afloat. However can the net adaptation of this traditional game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an age old game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had seen a recent comeback in popularity with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the cigarette ban all over England and Wales.
No longer will players be able to smoke while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most common places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not forgotten this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cig and still enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with little alternative.