Could the Cigarette Ban in Britain Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Net?
An abundance has been written in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry struggling because of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax breaks to help keep the businesses alive. However does the web adaptation of this quintessential game present a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban throughout Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored locations where many people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not forgotten this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can participate in bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and still enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course gambling on online could never replace the collective portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no choice.
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