An abundance has been written in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti cigarette law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the industry afloat. However will the online version of this traditional game present a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an age old game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent increase in appeal with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti smoking law throughout United Kingdom.
No longer will players be able to smoke while marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 all public areas will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular locations where people enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is online. Players are now realizing that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a drink and smoke and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course playing on the web is unlikely to replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a good many bingo players with little option.
July 7th, 2021
Tamara
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