[ English ]

A lot has been written in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to help keep the industry afloat. But will the web version of this classic game present a escape, or might it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?

Bingo is an enduring game generally enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had seen a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women opting to go to the bingo halls in place of the bars on a weekend. All this is about to change with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law around United Kingdom.

No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to smoke at the same time marking numbers. Beginning in the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most favored locations where players like to puff on cigarettes.

The effects of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not deserted this age old game?

The answer is online. People realise that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and smoke and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.

Of course wagering on on the web will never replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo parlour, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a good many bingo players with little alternative.