Will the Anti Cigarette Law in the United Kingdom Force Bingo Players On to the Net?


[ English ]

A lot has been reported in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti smoking law in England. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But does the online adaptation of this classic game provide a reprieve, or might it not compare to its land based kin?

Bingo has been an classic game normally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. In any case the game lately had seen a recent increase in appeal with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlors rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.

No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke while marking numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common areas where many people enjoy smoking.

The effects of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t forgotten this established game?

The answer is on the internet. Gamblers are now realizing that they can enjoy bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cigarette and still have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course gambling on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social aspect of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.

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