Much has been stated in the papers not long ago about the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in the UK. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However will the online version of this traditional game offer a escape, or might it in no way compare to its land based relative?

Bingo has been an enduring game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent return in acceptance with younger people opting to go to the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the smoking ban throughout UK.

No more will players be permitted to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular areas where many people enjoy smoking.

The effects of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo parlors. Numbers have dropped and the business is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Surely they haven’t cast aside this age old game?

The answer is on the net. People realize that they can bet on bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cigarette and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.

Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the social portion of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of players the rules have left a number of bingo players with little choice.