A survey published by one of the biggest bingo networks in the world, St Minver, shows that the industry can soon expect to see a mass exodus of bingo club players who choose to play online instead. The exodus will be sparked by a ban on smoking in public places which comes into force in England from 1 July, 2007.
Both Scotland and Wales have already been hit by the smoking ban, and the number of players attending traditional bingo halls has dropped significantly as a result. The impact has been so severe that several clubs have had to close altogether.
The St Minver survey obtained the views of some 3,000 bingo enthusiasts, and uncovered some statistics that are eye opening to say the least:
- 62% of bingo players admit to being smokers. This leads us to the conclusion that the same high percentage of traditional bingo club players will be directly affected by the smoking ban.
- 33% of bingo players who smoke say that they will play less often in bingo clubs than they do at the current time.
- 10% of bingo players who smoke have said that they will cease playing the game in the traditional club environment when the smoking ban comes into force.
- 63% of bingo players who smoke intend to play more games at online bingo sites.
Clearly, the bingo industry as a whole can anticipate some major shifts in the way the game is played throughout the United Kingdom. Traditional bingo clubs will suffer from lower levels of attendance whilst online bingo clubs will benefit from an increase in membership numbers.
Leigh Nissim, managing director of St Minver (UK), said: “From our research, it appears that land-based bingo clubs are likely to suffer in wake of the smoking ban.
Not only do players disagree with the ban, but they’re less likely to visit clubs as a result. Clubs who haven’t yet launched their online site must do so quickly to protect their business and customer base.”
