Could the Anti Smoking Law in England Drive Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
Wednesday, 27. May 2026
A lot has been reported in the press recently concerning the bingo industry being hit as a consequence of the cigarette ban in England. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has requested huge aid to help keep the industry alive. However can the internet adaptation of this classic game offer a escape, or will it never compare to its bricks and mortar opposite?
Bingo has been an established game historically enjoyed by the "blue rinse" generation. In any case the game lately had witnessed a recent comeback in acceptance with younger members of society opting to hit the bingo halls rather than the bars on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the enacting of the smoking ban all over UK.
No longer will players be able to puff on cigarettes whilst dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of 2007 all public locations will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their locations and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most favored places where people like to puff on cigarettes.
The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be seen in Scotland where smoking is already not permitted in the bingo halls. Players have dropped and the business is literally fighting for to stay alive. But where did all the players go? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this familiar game?
The answer is on the internet. People realize that they can participate in bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a drink and cig and still enjoy monstrous jackpots. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened just about perfectly with the anti smoking law.
Of course playing on the web can never replace the social part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of men and women the rules have left a good many bingo players with no alternative.
Posted in Bingo by Taryn