Might the Smoking Ban in England Drive Bingo Players On to the Internet?
Much has been talked in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the net adaptation of this quintessential game provide a reprieve, or might it in no way compare to its land based opposite?
Bingo has been an established game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti smoking law across Britain.
No more will gamblers be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public locations will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favored places where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the web. People realise that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cig and still enjoy big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.
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