01.20
Will the Smoking Ban in Britain Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Net?
A lot has been stated in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit because of the anti cigarette law in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However will the web version of this traditional game provide a salvation, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo is an ancient game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to hit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular places where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers know that they can gamble on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the collective part of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little option.