Might the Smoking Ban in England Force Bingo Enthusiasts Online?
An abundance has been reported in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But does the net version of this traditional game offer a lifeline, or might it never compare to its real life peer?
Bingo is an ancient game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the cigarette ban throughout Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular places where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t given up on this classic game?
The answer is on the net. People know that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web could never replace the collective aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left many bingo players with little option.
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