An abundance has been written in the press recently regarding the bingo industry being hurt as a result of the anti smoking law in the UK. Conditions have become so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has asked for huge aid to help keep the industry alive. But does the net adaptation of this traditional game provide a escape, or will it never compare to its real life relative?

Bingo has been an enduring game generally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game recently had undergone a recent return in appeal with younger members of society opting to go to the bingo parlors in place of the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be reversed with the introduction of the cigarette ban around England and Wales.

Players will no longer be permitted to smoke at the same time dabbing numbers. From the summer of 2007 all public places will no longer be permitted to allow cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most favorite areas where players like to puff on cigarettes.

The outcome of the anti smoking law can already be seen in Scotland where cigarettes are already forbidden in the bingo halls. Players have plunged and the industry is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where have the players gone? Certainly they have not given up on this classic game?

The answer is on the net. Players realise that they can play bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beverage and cig and still enjoy huge prizes. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course wagering on on the net is unlikely to replace the communal aspect of going over to the bingo parlour, but for a demographic of men and women the rules have left a good many bingo players with no choice.