Much has been reported in the press not long ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues because of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. However can the internet variation of this classic game offer a escape, or might it in no way compare to its land based relative?

Bingo is an classic game usually enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger people deciding to go to the bingo parlors instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to be destroyed with the introduction of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.

Players will no longer be able to smoke whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most common places where people enjoy smoking.

The results of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlours. Numbers have dropped and the business is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t forgotten this ancient game?

The answer is online. Gamblers realize that they can participate in bingo from their computer while enjoying a beverage and fag and still have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.

Of course wagering on on the internet is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the rules have left a lot of bingo players with little option.