Might the Smoking Ban in Britain Force Bingo Players On to the Internet?
Much has been stated in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Things have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. However will the internet adaptation of this traditional game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its land based kin?
Bingo is an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had witnessed a recent comeback in appeal with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban throughout England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t given up on this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can participate in bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on online is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left many bingo players with little choice.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
