Will the Smoking Ban in the United Kingdom Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
An abundance has been reported in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big aid to help keep the businesses alive. But can the internet adaptation of this traditional game present a salvation, or might it never compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo is an established game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game of late had experienced a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the smoking ban throughout UK.
Players will no longer be permitted to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular locations where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t given up on this enduring game?
The answer is online. People realise that they can gamble on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and in the end, enjoy big prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on online is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.
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