An abundance has been reported in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge tax breaks to assist in keeping the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the internet adaptation of this traditional game offer a salvation, or might it not compare to its real life equivalent?

Bingo has been an enduring game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game of late had undergone a recent increase in acceptance with younger people opting to go to the bingo halls instead of the discos on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the legislating of the smoking ban all over England and Wales.

No longer will gamblers be allowed to smoke while dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public areas will not be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most common locations where people like to smoke.

The effects of the anti smoking law can already be felt in Scotland where smoking is already barred in the bingo parlors. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Obviously they haven’t given up on this classic game?

The answer is on the internet. Gamblers know that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer while enjoying a beverage and cig and still have a chance at massive cash rewards. This is a recent anomaly and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.

Of course wagering on on the web is unlikely to replace the social portion of heading over to the bingo parlour, but for a group of people the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no option.