Can the Anti Smoking Law in England Take Bingo Players On to the Web?
Posted in Bingo on 06/08/2026 09:25 am by Eileen
An abundance has been reported in the press not long ago concerning the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded big tax cuts to help keep the industry alive. However does the internet adaptation of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it not compare to its land based equivalent?
Bingo is an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game recently had witnessed a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban all over United Kingdom.
No more will players be allowed to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The results of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t given up on this enduring game?
The answer is online. People realise that they can play bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beer and fag and in the end, have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course betting on on the web will never replace the communal part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.