Might the Smoking Ban in the United Kingdom Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?
Much has been stated in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry afloat. But does the net version of this quintessential game present a escape, or might it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an age old game normally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had witnessed a recent increase in popularity with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors in place of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti smoking law across UK.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favorite places where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not allowed in the bingo halls. Players have plummeted and the industry is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not deserted this familiar game?
The answer is online. Players know that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the governing edicts have left a good many bingo players with little option.
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