Bingo 'is a leisure product'

The Bingo Association debates the effect online bingo has had on the land-based game and traditional bingo halls.

The growth of the internet and games such as online bingo means consumers have "become accustomed to using computers to consume leisure products", the Bingo Association has said.

Describing bingo as such a product, the organisation claims online bingo players are generally younger than those who travel to bingo halls across the country.

Steven Baldwin, communications manager for the association, said "there are very few players who have migrated from land-based bingo to online bingo", adding that the internet version of the game is a "very legitimate product development", rather than a replacement for the old product.

Recent figures from the Bingo Association show that over 8.5 million people played bingo in 2007, which included a 15 per cent increase in younger players.

According to the group, almost 50 per cent of all bingo players are now under 45 years old.