[ English ]

Much has been written in the papers recently about the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for big aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But does the internet version of this quintessential game provide a salvation, or will it never compare to its land based opposite?

Bingo is an classic game generally enjoyed by the "blue haired" generation. However the game of late had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlours in place of the discos on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law all over United Kingdom.

Players will no longer be able to smoke while marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will no longer be allowed to permit smoking in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular places where people like to smoke.

The effects of the smoking ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Profits have dropped and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they haven’t abandoned this classic game?

The answer is online. Players realize that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and in the end, enjoy massive cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.

Of course betting on on the internet is unlikely to replace the collective part of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.