Will the Cigarette Ban in England Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Net?
Much has been stated in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However will the online version of this quintessential game provide a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an age old game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game lately had undergone a recent increase in appeal with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the cigarette ban around Britain.
No more will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common places where many people like to smoke.
The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Profits have plunged and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realise that they can enjoy bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.
Of course playing online could never replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.
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