An abundance has been talked in the press just a while ago about the bingo industry struggling as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested big aid to help keep the industry from going bankrupt. But can the online variation of this classic game present a reprieve, or might it not compare to its real life equivalent?

Bingo is an enduring game usually enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. For all that the game of late had witnessed a recent increase in acceptance with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Friday night. All this is about to get flipped on its head with the introduction of the cigarette ban throughout Britain.

No longer will gamblers be able to puff on cigarettes at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public places will not be allowed to permit smoking in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most common areas where people enjoy smoking.

The results of the cigarette ban can already be looked at in Scotland where smoking is already forbidden in the bingo parlours. Profits have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t cast aside this established game?

The answer is on the net. People are now realizing that they can enjoy bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a cocktail and smoke and still have a chance at monstrous prizes. This is a recent anomaly and has timed itself almost perfectly with the anti smoking law.

Of course playing on the web is unlikely to replace the communal part of heading down to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a lot of bingo players with no option.