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Might the Smoking Ban in the United Kingdom Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
A lot has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the industry afloat. But will the net variation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or will it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent return in appeal with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlors rather than the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti smoking law around UK.
No longer will gamblers be permitted to smoke while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored places where players like to smoke.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Surely they have not given up on this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players know that they can enjoy bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the net will never replace the social part of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of players the law has left a lot of bingo players with no choice.