05.05
Can the Smoking Ban in Britain Take Bingo Players On to the Internet?
An abundance has been reported in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the internet variation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an established game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the cigarette ban throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they have not cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the web. People are now realizing that they can enjoy bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and fag and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on on the internet can never replace the social portion of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the law has left many bingo players with no option.