Could the Anti Cigarette Law in the United Kingdom Force Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
A lot has been stated in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses afloat. But can the web variation of this classic game provide a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life relative?
Bingo has been an age old game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had witnessed a recent resurgence in popularity with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the smoking ban all over United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t deserted this familiar game?
The answer is online. Players realise that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and fag and in the end, have a chance at big prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the web could never replace the collective portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.
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