Bingo Tricks

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A lot has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax breaks to help keep the businesses alive. But does the web version of this traditional game offer a reprieve, or will it never compare to its real life relative?

Bingo is an age old game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had experienced a recent return in popularity with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo parlours in place of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enacting of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.

Players will no longer be permitted to smoke while marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite locations where people like to smoke.

The outcome of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Of course they have not cast aside this enduring game?

The answer is online. People know that they can gamble on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and in the end, have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course playing on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.