The recent global economic crisis has resulted in massive job losses. Many industries worldwide are laying off long term employees and economic growth is at a standstill. The US has shed over a million jobs in 2008 and recently released government data paints a very bleak picture for 2009. The situation is similar in the UK and the massive losses posted by the Bank of Scotland have caused many to lose confidence in the British banking system. Despite all the economic doom and gloom there is actually one industry that is actually creating jobs—that industry is online bingo!

Although online bingo is a relatively young industry it has grown in popularity and now rivals poker as the internet’s most popular game. In the UK where online bingo is immensely popular many online bingo providers are actually creating new jobs. Traditional land based bingo in the UK is in serious trouble due to double taxation and a recently passed smoking ban. Many bingo clubs have shuttered their doors in the last 2 years and many of these bingo players have switched to online bingo.

One UK bingo provider, Tombola reports that they are expanding resulting in the creation of 30 new jobs and expect to add more. In the last 6 months Tombola has seen a 12% increase in players. Many other online bingo providers report similar statistics. Jay Davies, a marketer at the online bingo site BingoHouse said, “We have experienced a spike in the number of players from the UK and Europe. We plan to add to our staff to meet the demand and provide first-rate customer service”

Even in today’s dismal economy most online bingo providers report an increase in the number of players. During the last two years the number of new online bingo players from the UK has increased dramatically. Studies have shown that approximately 70% of all bingo players smoke and since the UK smoking ban 63% of these same players indicated they would consider switching to online bingo.

Online bingo continues to grow in popularity for a variety of reasons. Smokers can puff away to their hearts content while playing their favorite game. There are no travel costs, admission charges, and for mothers there are no babysitting expenses. Since online bingo providers do not have to maintain a facility with a large number of employees they can pass these savings on to the player in the form of bigger jackpots and expensive prizes. In today’s economy online bingo is probably one of the only industries that is actually creating jobs.