[ English ]

An abundance has been reported in the papers recently regarding the bingo industry struggling because of the anti smoking law in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But will the net variation of this traditional game present a reprieve, or will it not compare to its real life equivalent?

Bingo is an classic game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in acceptance with younger men and women deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the enforcement of the anti smoking law throughout Britain.

Players will no longer be able to smoke at the same time marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular places where people enjoy smoking.

The results of the smoking ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t deserted this established game?

The answer is on the web. Players realise that they can gamble on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and cigarette and in the end, enjoy massive prizes. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course wagering on on the net is unlikely to replace the social part of going down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left many bingo players with little choice.