A lot has been written in the press recently concerning the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested massive aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But does the online version of this traditional game present a salvation, or will it in no way compare to its real life kin?

Bingo is an ancient game usually played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had undergone a recent comeback in popularity with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo halls in place of the discos on a weekend. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law around UK.

No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to smoke while dabbing numbers. Beginning in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most popular areas where many people like to puff on cigarettes.

The outcome of the smoking ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already banned in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where did the players go? Certainly they haven’t given up on this established game?

The answer is on the web. People realise that they can play bingo using their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cig and in the end, have a chance at monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on cigarettes.

Of course betting on on the net could never replace the communal part of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.