Will the Anti Cigarette Law in England Take Bingo Enthusiasts On to the Web?
by Brennen on Saturday, January 10th, 2026
A lot has been written in the papers just a while ago regarding the bingo industry singing the blues as a result of the anti cigarette law in England. Conditions have grown so bad that in Scotland the Bingo industry has demanded huge tax cuts to help keep the businesses from going bankrupt. But will the net variation of this quintessential game provide a escape, or will it never compare to its land based peer?
Bingo is an familiar game normally played by the "blue haired" generation. Although the game of late had undergone a recent return in popularity with younger people opting to visit the bingo parlours rather than the clubs on a Friday night. All this is about to be destroyed with the enforcement of the cigarette ban across England and Wales.
Players will no longer be allowed to puff on cigarettes while dabbing numbers. Starting in the summer of ‘07 every public location will not be allowed to permit smoking in their buildings and this includes Bingo parlours, which are possibly the most popular locations where folks enjoy smoking.
The effects of the anti smoking law can already be looked at in Scotland where cigarettes are already prohibited in the bingo parlors. Profits have plunged and the industry is absolutely fighting for to stay alive. But where have the players gone? Certainly they haven’t cast aside this age old game?
The answer is online. Players realize that they can wager on bingo in front of their computer whilst enjoying a beer and smoke and still have a chance at big cash rewards. This is a recent phenomenon and has happened bordering on perfect with the anti smoking law.
Of course wagering on on the net is unlikely to replace the collective part of going over to the bingo hall, but for a group of players the governing edicts have left a number of bingo players with no option.
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