Much has been talked in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive aid to help keep the industry afloat. But does the net adaptation of this quintessential game present a salvation, or will it not compare to its real life peer?
Bingo has been an familiar game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo parlours in place of the clubs on a Saturday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the smoking ban throughout England and Wales.
No more will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular areas where many people enjoy smoking.
The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the web. Players realize that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.
October 25th, 2023
Tamara
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