A lot has been written in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry struggling as a result of the smoking ban in Britain. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big tax breaks to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. However can the internet adaptation of this classic game offer a reprieve, or might it not compare to its real life equivalent?

Bingo is an familiar game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had seen a recent return in appeal with younger people deciding to hit the bingo parlours rather than the bars on a Saturday night. This is all about to be reversed with the legislating of the anti smoking law all over England and Wales.

Players will no longer be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking off their numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo halls, which are possibly the most favorite locations where many people like to smoke.

The results of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Obviously they have not given up on this established game?

The answer is online. Players realize that they can participate in bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and smoke and still have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.

Of course betting on online is unlikely to replace the social aspect of heading over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo enthusiasts with little option.