Will the Anti Smoking Law in Britain Drive Bingo Players On to the Internet?
Posted in Bingo on 01/04/2021 04:25 am by Eileen
A lot has been written in the press not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However will the net variation of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or will it in no way compare to its bricks and mortar relative?
Bingo is an age old game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had witnessed a recent increase in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to be destroyed with the introduction of the anti smoking law throughout Britain.
Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common areas where folks enjoy smoking.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Obviously they haven’t cast aside this ancient game?
The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can play bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and still enjoy massive jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course wagering on online could never replace the collective aspect of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.