A lot has been talked in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses afloat. However does the online version of this classic game offer a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar peer?
Bingo is an age old game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the cigarette ban across UK.
No more will players be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite locations where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t given up on this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Players know that they can enjoy bingo using their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and in the end, enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing online is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with no choice.
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