An abundance has been written in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the cigarette ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. But does the internet adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?
Bingo has been an classic game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had experienced a recent increase in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the anti smoking law across England and Wales.
No more will players be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public area will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common areas where players like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t forgotten this familiar game?
The answer is on the net. Players know that they can participate in bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left many bingo players with little option.
This entry was posted on June 10, 2023, 3:25 am 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.