Can the Smoking Ban in England Take Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?
Much has been talked in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But will the online adaptation of this classic game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had seen a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Saturday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the anti smoking law all over Britain.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public place will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favorite areas where players enjoy smoking.
The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t cast aside this established game?
The answer is on the internet. People realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the social part of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with little choice.
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