Much has been talked in the press recently about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But can the online adaptation of this traditional game provide a reprieve, or might it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an established game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent comeback in acceptance with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the smoking ban across UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common places where people like to smoke.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not abandoned this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers know that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the internet will never replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.