Might the Cigarette Ban in Britain Drive Bingo Players On to the Net?
Wednesday, 29. June 2022
A lot has been reported in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a consequence of the cigarette ban in the UK. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the internet version of this classic game provide a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its real life equivalent?
Bingo has been an age old game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game lately had seen a recent resurgence in popularity with younger people opting to hit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban across Britain.
No longer will players be able to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most favored locations where folks like to smoke.
The outcome of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t abandoned this classic game?
The answer is on the internet. People know that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a cocktail and cig and still enjoy monstrous prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on on the net is unlikely to replace the social portion of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.
Posted in Bingo by Taryn