Will the Smoking Ban in England Drive Bingo Players Online?
An abundance has been reported in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However does the internet adaptation of this classic game present a escape, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an age old game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the enacting of the smoking ban across Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they have not deserted this age old game?
The answer is on the web. Gamblers are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing on the web will never replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.
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