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An abundance has been talked in the papers not long ago concerning the bingo industry singing the blues because of the smoking ban in the United Kingdom. Conditions have grown so awful that in Scotland the Bingo industry has called for massive aid to assist in keeping the industry alive. But does the net variation of this traditional game provide a lifeline, or will it not compare to its land based peer?

Bingo is an ancient game historically played by the "blue haired" generation. However the game lately had seen a recent increase in popularity with younger men and women deciding to go to the bingo halls in place of the clubs on a Friday night. This is all about to be reversed with the introduction of the anti cigarette law around Britain.

No longer will enthusiasts be permitted to puff on cigarettes whilst marking numbers. From the summer of ‘07 all public places will not be allowed to permit cigarettes in their venues and this includes Bingo parlours, one of the most popular places where players like to smoke.

The outcome of the cigarette ban can already be observed in Scotland where cigarettes are already barred in the bingo parlors. Numbers have plummeted and the business is beyond a doubt struggling for its life. But where did all the players go? Surely they haven’t given up on this age old game?

The answer is on the net. Gamblers realize that they can gamble on bingo from their computer whilst enjoying a beer and cigarette and still have a chance at massive cash rewards. This is a recent development and has timed itself bordering on perfect with the ban on smoking.

Of course gambling on on the net is unlikely to replace the collective aspect of heading down to the bingo parlor, but for a demographic of people the law has left a lot of bingo enthusiasts with little choice.

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New Mexico has a complex gaming background. When the IGRA was signed by Congress in 1989, it seemed like New Mexico would be one of the states to cash in on the Native casino bandwagon. Politics assured that would not be the situation.

The New Mexico governor Bruce King announced a task force in 1990 to create an accord with New Mexico Native bands. When the task force arrived at an accord with 2 big local bands a year later, Governor King declined to sign the bargain. He would hold up a deal until 1994.

When a new governor took over in Nineteen Ninety Five, it seemed that American Indian betting in New Mexico was a certainty. But when Governor Gary Johnson signed the compact with the Amerindian tribes, anti-gambling forces were able to tie the accord up in courts. A New Mexico court found that the Governor had overstepped his bounds in signing the accord, therefore costing the government of New Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in licensing fees over the next several years.

It took the Compact Negotiation Act, passed by the New Mexico government, to get the process moving on a full compact between the State of New Mexico and its American Indian tribes. A decade had been burned for gambling in New Mexico, including Native casino Bingo.

The nonprofit Bingo industry has increased since 1999. In that year, New Mexico charity game owners acquired only $3,048 in revenues. That climbed to $725,150 in 2000, and exceeded one million dollars in 2001. Non-profit Bingo earnings have grown steadily since then. Two Thousand and Five witnessed the greatest year, with $1,233,289 grossed by the providers.

Bingo is clearly favored in New Mexico. All types of providers look for a slice of the pie. Hopefully, the politicians are through batting over gaming as an important factor like they did in the 90’s. That’s most likely wishful thinking.