An abundance has been written in the papers 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 demanded big aid to assist in keeping the industry from going bankrupt. But can the net adaptation of this classic game present a lifeline, or will it not compare to its bricks and mortar equivalent?

Bingo has been an enduring game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had seen a recent resurgence in acceptance with younger people deciding to go to the bingo halls instead of the clubs on a weekend. All this is about to change with the enacting of the smoking ban throughout England and Wales.

Players will no longer be allowed to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 every public location will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlors, one of the most popular areas where many people enjoy smoking.

The outcome of the anti cigarette law can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plunged and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for to stay alive. But where have all the players gone? Certainly they have not forgotten this classic game?

The answer is on the internet. People are now realizing that they can gamble on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a drink and fag and still have a chance at huge jackpots. This is a recent development and has timed itself just about perfectly with the ban on cigarettes.

Of course betting on on the net can never replace the communal aspect of heading over to the bingo hall, but for a demographic of people the rules have left a good many bingo enthusiasts with little choice.