Might the Smoking Ban in England Force Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Net?
Posted in Bingo on 07/30/2025 11:25 am by EileenMuch has been talked in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the businesses afloat. However does the online version of this traditional game provide a escape, or will it not compare to its land based relative?
Bingo is an familiar game historically played by the "blue rinse" generation. However the game lately had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the introduction of the anti cigarette law all over England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most common areas where players like to smoke.
The results of the anti cigarette law can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they have not given up on this familiar game?
The answer is online. Players realize that they can play bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.
Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going down to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.
