Will the Smoking Ban in the UK Force Bingo Players On to the Internet?
A lot has been stated in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in the UK. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the net variation of this classic game present a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an ancient game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had experienced a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the anti smoking law throughout United Kingdom.
No more will players be able to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored areas where folks like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have dropped and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Surely they have not cast aside this age old game?
The answer is online. Players realise that they can bet on bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and fag and still enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.
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