Will the Cigarette Ban in England Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
Posted in Bingo on 05/06/2025 05:25 am by Eileen
A lot has been written in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax cuts to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But can the online adaptation of this traditional game present a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its real life opposite?
Bingo is an ancient game normally played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had undergone a recent resurgence in popularity with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls rather than the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be able to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular areas where people enjoy smoking.
The effects of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is absolutely struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this enduring game?
The answer is on the net. Players realise that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still have a chance at massive jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti cigarette law.
Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.