[ English ]

Much has been talked in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit because of the smoking ban in England. Things have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But will the online adaptation of this classic game present a lifeline, or might it not compare to its land based relative?

Bingo has been an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had experienced a recent return in appeal with younger members of society deciding to visit the bingo halls instead of the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the smoking ban across England and Wales.

No longer will enthusiasts be allowed to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular locations where people enjoy smoking.

The results of the smoking ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo halls. Numbers have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this age old game?

The answer is on the net. People realize that they can wager on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and fag and still have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course gambling on on the net will never replace the communal portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.