Might the Smoking Ban in Britain Force Bingo Players On to the Net?
Thursday, 4. July 2019
Much has been written in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a consequence of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the net adaptation of this classic game provide a salvation, or might it in no way compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an enduring game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game recently had undergone a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people deciding to visit the bingo parlors rather than the discos on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti smoking law around United Kingdom.
Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favored places where players like to smoke.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo parlors. Players have dropped and the industry is absolutely struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not abandoned this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. Players know that they can play bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and fag and in the end, enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the social part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo enthusiasts with no choice.
Posted in Bingo by Taryn