An abundance has been written in the papers not long ago regarding the bingo industry struggling because of the smoking ban in England. Things have become so poor that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded massive tax breaks to help keep the businesses afloat. But can the internet adaptation of this quintessential game offer a lifeline, or will it in no way compare to its land based relative?

Bingo is an classic game generally played by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game recently had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to hit the bingo parlors rather than the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to get flipped on its head with the legislating of the smoking ban throughout England and Wales.

No more will gamblers be allowed to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public area will not be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlors, which are possibly the most favored locations where folks enjoy smoking.

The results of the anti smoking law can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already illegal in the bingo parlours. Players have plunged and the business is literally struggling for its life. But where have all the players gone? Surely they haven’t deserted this classic game?

The answer is on the web. Players know that they can bet on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a beverage and cigarette and still have a chance at monstrous jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on smoking.

Of course betting on on the web is unlikely to replace the communal portion of going over to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left a number of bingo enthusiasts with no alternative.