Can the Smoking Ban in England Force Bingo Players On to the Net?
A lot has been written in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt because of the anti smoking law in Britain. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the online variation of this quintessential game offer a escape, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent return in popularity with younger members of society opting to visit the bingo parlors in place of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the anti cigarette law across United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public area will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular locations where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t abandoned this established game?
The answer is on the internet. Gamblers realize that they can bet on bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and fag and still enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the social part of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.
No comments yet.