An abundance has been written in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the online variation of this quintessential game offer a escape, or might it never compare to its land based kin?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had witnessed a recent return in appeal with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the anti cigarette law around Britain.
No longer will gamblers be able to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular places where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they have not abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cigarette and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the net will never replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little option.
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