A lot has been written in the papers recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a result of the anti cigarette law in the UK. Conditions have become so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax cuts to help keep the industry afloat. However can the online version of this traditional game provide a escape, or will it in no way compare to its real life opposite?

Bingo is an ancient game usually played by the "blue rinse" generation. Although the game recently had witnessed a recent resurgence in appeal with younger men and women opting to visit the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to change with the enforcement of the anti cigarette law all over Britain.

No longer will gamblers be permitted to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. From the summer of ‘07 every public location will no longer be permitted to allow smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored locations where folks enjoy smoking.

The effects of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already not permitted in the bingo halls. Profits have plummeted and the industry is literally struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Surely they haven’t forgotten this age old game?

The answer is on the internet. Players know that they can bet on bingo from their computer at the same time enjoying a cocktail and cig and in the end, enjoy monstrous cash rewards. This is a recent development and has happened just about perfectly with the anti cigarette law.

Of course gambling on online is unlikely to replace the collective portion of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a group of men and women the governing edicts have left many bingo players with no choice.