An abundance has been reported in the papers just a while ago concerning the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the cigarette ban in Britain. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to help keep the industry afloat. But can the net version of this classic game provide a salvation, or might it not compare to its land based kin?

Bingo has been an enduring game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game lately had seen a recent comeback in acceptance with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlours instead of the discos on a Saturday night. All this is about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti smoking law throughout England and Wales.

Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public location will no longer be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite locations where many people enjoy smoking.

The results of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo parlours. Numbers have plummeted and the business is literally fighting for its life. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t cast aside this age old game?

The answer is on the web. Gamblers realize that they can participate in bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a drink and smoke and still have a chance at huge cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.

Of course betting on on the net can never replace the communal aspect of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little alternative.