Can the Anti Smoking Law in England Force Bingo Players On to the Internet?
Monday, 22. August 2022
Much has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti smoking law in Britain. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge aid to assist in keeping the businesses alive. But can the online adaptation of this quintessential game offer a reprieve, or might it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo has been an familiar game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game recently had seen a recent increase in acceptance with younger people deciding to hit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout Britain.
No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favorite areas where many people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this established game?
The answer is on the web. People realise that they can participate in bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and fag and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.
Posted in Bingo by Taryn