Much has been stated in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the anti smoking law in England. Things have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But does the online version of this quintessential game present a escape, or will it in no way compare to its land based equivalent?

Bingo has been an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a weekend. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti cigarette law across United Kingdom.

No longer will players be allowed to puff on cigarettes while marking off their numbers. From the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common places where people like to smoke.

The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already not allowed in the bingo halls. Numbers have plunged and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Of course they haven’t deserted this established game?

The answer is online. Players are now realizing that they can enjoy bingo in front of their computer at the same time enjoying a beer and cig and in the end, have a chance at massive prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.

Of course gambling on on the internet will never replace the communal part of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the law has left many bingo players with little alternative.