An abundance has been written in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses afloat. But does the online version of this quintessential game offer a salvation, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?
Bingo has been an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlors instead of the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti cigarette law all over United Kingdom.
No more will players be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where players enjoy smoking.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Certainly they haven’t given up on this ancient game?
The answer is online. People realize that they can gamble on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and fag and in the end, have a chance at massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the web will never replace the collective part of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.
January 8th, 2025
Tamara
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