Much has been reported in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the smoking ban in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses alive. However does the net variation of this traditional game offer a escape, or might it never compare to its land based peer?

Bingo has been an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. For all that the game of late had undergone a recent increase in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a weekend. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law around England and Wales.

No more will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favorite areas where people like to puff on cigarettes.

The effects of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already illegal in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they haven’t cast aside this familiar game?

The answer is on the web. Gamblers are now realizing that they can wager on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and smoke and in the end, enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course gambling on online could never replace the social part of going down to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.