Much has been talked in the press recently regarding the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge tax cuts to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. But can the internet version of this traditional game present a reprieve, or will it not compare to its land based equivalent?

Bingo is an enduring game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game recently had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the anti smoking law around UK.

Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be permitted to allow smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most common locations where players like to puff on cigarettes.

The results of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlours. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they have not cast aside this enduring game?

The answer is on the net. People realize that they can gamble on bingo using their computer while enjoying a beer and cig and still enjoy big jackpots. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.

Of course gambling on on the net will never replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of players the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with little option.