Can the Smoking Ban in England Force Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
Thursday, 10. June 2021
Much has been reported in the papers recently about the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However will the internet version of this quintessential game provide a reprieve, or will it not compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an enduring game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo parlours rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.
No more will players be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public areas will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular areas where players like to smoke.
The effects of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlors. Players have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not forgotten this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. Players realize that they can enjoy bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the communal part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with little choice.
Posted in Bingo by Taryn