Will the Anti Smoking Law in the UK Take Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?
An abundance has been written in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry struggling because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the web version of this quintessential game present a reprieve, or might it not compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an ancient game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game lately had witnessed a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Of course they have not given up on this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Players realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and cig and still have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the law has left a good many bingo players with no choice.
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