Posted by Jace | Posted in Bingo | Posted on 15-02-2026
A lot has been reported in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the web variation of this quintessential game offer a reprieve, or will it not compare to its land based kin?
Bingo has been an familiar game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti smoking law around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public area will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the industry is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t forgotten this age old game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers are now realizing that they can play bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and fag and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the web can never replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.