Posted by Jace | Posted in Bingo | Posted on 13-12-2017
A lot has been reported in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry alive. However will the net version of this traditional game provide a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an ancient game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in appeal with younger members of society deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the smoking ban across England and Wales.
Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this ancient game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can play bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little option.