Much has been stated in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the online version of this traditional game present a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had undergone a recent increase in appeal with younger people opting to hit the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. All this is about to change with the enacting of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.
No longer will players be allowed to smoke whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular areas where folks like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already banned in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not given up on this established game?
The answer is on the internet. People realise that they can participate in bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and fag and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.
This entry was posted on November 7, 2016, 3:25 pm and is filed under Bingo. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.