A lot has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for big tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the online adaptation of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or might it never compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo has been an established game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had witnessed a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to hit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the smoking ban all over UK.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular places where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t forgotten this enduring game?
The answer is on the internet. People realize that they can participate in bingo from their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cig and still enjoy huge cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course gambling on online is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.