Can the Smoking Ban in Britain Take Bingo Players On to the Net?
Much has been reported in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the internet adaptation of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an ancient game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
No more will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most popular locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is online. Gamblers know that they can participate in bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and fag and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the web will never replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo players with no choice.
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