02.25
Might the Anti Cigarette Law in the United Kingdom Drive Bingo Players On to the Net?
Much has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hit because of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the web version of this quintessential game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women opting to hit the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the cigarette ban across Britain.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular places where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not given up on this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on online is unlikely to replace the communal part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the law has left a lot of bingo players with little alternative.