Much has been talked in the papers recently about the bingo industry being hit because of the anti smoking law in England. Things have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for huge tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. However can the net version of this classic game offer a lifeline, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar kin?

Bingo is an classic game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had witnessed a recent return in acceptance with younger members of society deciding to hit the bingo parlours instead of the bars on a weekend. This is all about to change with the introduction of the smoking ban across Britain.

Players will no longer be able to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public place will not be permitted to allow smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo halls, one of the most popular places where many people like to puff on cigarettes.

The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be felt in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlors. Profits have plummeted and the business is absolutely fighting for its life. But where did all the players go? Of course they have not given up on this age old game?

The answer is on the net. Players are now realizing that they can enjoy bingo using their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and cigarette and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti cigarette law.

Of course betting on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of people the governing edicts have left a lot of bingo players with no alternative.