10
December
Written by Gordon.
Posted in: Bingo
A lot has been stated in the press recently about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti smoking law in the UK. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the online variation of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or might it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an age old game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had experienced a recent return in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across Britain.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored areas where many people like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realise that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, have a chance at big jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the net will never replace the social portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little option.
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