Could the Cigarette Ban in England Take Bingo Players On to the Internet?
A lot has been stated in the papers recently about the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But can the online adaptation of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an age old game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban across Britain.
No more will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where people like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this familiar game?
The answer is online. People realise that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the internet can never replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.
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