The Final Puff - Bingo Survives the Smoking Ban

When the smoking ban arrived in England in 2007, many heralded it as the end for many leisure industries where smoking was permitted. Bingo was one such industry to be affected, as scores of fans left the traditional halls and joined the legions playing online bingo. This, coupled with an increased tax rate, leant a foreboding air to the game. However, two years on, the tax has gone down and innovations in smoking replacement technology have meant that players are flooding back.

The anti-smoking legislation itself was pilloried as a restrictment of civil liberties by smokers and the enablement of them by those who did not smoke. For the millions of bingo players across the land, the chance to chat and smoke with like-minded individuals was part of the whole appeal. The game itself, while enjoyable and enjoyed by all, appeared merely the means by which players felt that they were allowed to socialize.

Meanwhile, in their online counterparts, advanced chatting facilities were fast becoming the norm, to the degree by which many players today feel as though they are not missing any of the sociability factors while gaining huge advantages in time-management and domestic harmony.

However, the years since the ban became law have seen innovations in both smoking technology and the bingo halls themselves. New electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are fast becoming popular amongst smokers as they allow the user to draw in nicotine without having to inhale tar, tobacco or carbon monoxide.

Offering a wider variety of games has begun to lure players back to the halls, as they now provide competition for the many different kinds of games and bonuses available online. One variant which has seen a renaissance is "Binglo", a light-hearted form of the game that sees players hugging the caller instead of shouting house and dabbing their face and arms with ink in order to win prizes.

Naturally, there are both advantages and disadvantages to playing either online or in the bingo hall. The unifying aspect is the eternal game of bingo, that continues to reinvent itself just when the chips seem down and out. With this in mind, it is small wonder that the bingo hall smoking ban has failed to stop what is still the nation's favourite game.

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