Will the Cigarette Ban in England Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Internet?

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Much has been written in the press not long ago about the bingo industry struggling as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax cuts to help keep the businesses alive. But can the online variation of this quintessential game present a lifeline, or might it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar kin?

Bingo is an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent return in acceptance with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlors rather than the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout UK.

No longer will players be allowed to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 all public locations will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular places where folks enjoy smoking.

The effects of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo parlours. Players have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Obviously they haven’t deserted this familiar game?

The answer is on the web. People are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo using their computer while enjoying a drink and cig and still have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.

Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of people the law has left a number of bingo players with little alternative.