An abundance has been talked in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax breaks to help keep the industry afloat. But can the web adaptation of this classic game offer a salvation, or might it never compare to its real life kin?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had experienced a recent return in popularity with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular places where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not abandoned this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. People know that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the collective portion of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.