Can the Anti Cigarette Law in England Drive Bingo Players On to the Net?
A lot has been written in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the net adaptation of this traditional game present a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an ancient game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had seen a recent comeback in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enforcement of the anti smoking law throughout Britain.
No more will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common locations where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t forgotten this age old game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can wager on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing online will never replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the law has left many bingo players with no option.
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