Please gamble responsibly.
by Penny Walker
Playing bingo in a traditional hall rather than online would appeal to an entirely different demographic, one expert has said this week.
According to the trade body for this industry in Britain, the Bingo Association, online bingo sites have not detracted from the popularity of traditional halls as old people go for the latter, while young people are more likely to log on.
Steven Baldwin, communications manager for the Bingo Association, said: "There are very few players who have migrated from 'land-based' bingo to online bingo.
"The advent of online gaming and online bingo was a very legitimate product development – it's not replacing an old product."
He added that the "age bias" between the two products is largely to do with lifestyle choices, as younger people are more likely to be sat in front of a computer.
A poll carried out by National Statistics last year revealed that 16 to 44-year-olds use the internet more than any other age group.
Furthermore, 41 per cent of men and nearly 30 per cent of women said that they use the internet to play or download games or some type of multimedia content.