The popularity of online bingo in Scotland is growing as a result of the smoking ban in public places including bingo halls. According to the UK online bingo site OnlineBingo.co.uk, Scottish bingo players prefer playing bingo online so they will be able to smoke during their bingo game.
The smoking ban in Scotland came into effect by March 2006. Since then, at least 5 local bingo halls had to shut their businesses due to fall in their profits. Premier Bingo in Denny, and Rio Bingo in Kirkcaldy, both operated by K.E. Entertainments are two of the bingo halls which have been closed.
According to OnlineBingo.co.uk research, about 47 percent of the bingo players admitted they were taking a break during the bingo session to smoke a cigarette outside the bingo hall. Iain Beggs, Bingo Scotland spokesman, said he was surprised from the major growth in the number of online bingo players in Scotland since the smoking ban came into effect. The number of registered members in Scottish online bingo sites grew in 400 percent since March.