Can the Smoking Ban in Britain Force Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Net?
A lot has been written in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a result of the smoking ban in the UK. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax breaks to help keep the businesses alive. However can the web adaptation of this classic game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo is an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had witnessed a recent return in popularity with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the anti cigarette law across England and Wales.
No more will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Players have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this enduring game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can bet on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the net could never replace the collective portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo players with no choice.
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