28
March
Written by Gordon.
Posted in: Bingo
Much has been talked in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However does the net variation of this traditional game offer a salvation, or might it never compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an established game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had experienced a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the enacting of the smoking ban around England and Wales.
No more will enthusiasts be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where players enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlours. Players have dropped and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not cast aside this age old game?
The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and cig and still enjoy huge jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a good many bingo players with no choice.
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