We have all read about the chaos the UK smoking ban caused for the land based bingo industry. Many publicly traded bingo companies saw their stock dive overnight and layoff reached the thousands. Many rural bingo halls shuttered their doors forever leaving rural residents with limited recreational choices.

The same scenario is being repeated across the US as states pass individual smoking bans. Unlike the UK where there is a national ban in place, US smoking bans vary from state to state. For bingo halls the result has been the same as in the UK. In the US bingo has traditionally been used as a fundraising tool for a variety of causes.

In the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania a the Elderton Fire Department weekly bingo game suddenly found itself without players due to the smoking ban. About half of Apollo Hose Company No. 2’s regular bingo players have stopped showing up. Cash prizes have been increased but even the increased prizes have failed to attract former players.

The Fire Department depends on the revenue generated by bingo to pay bills and the lack of players has left the department without funding. Many other fire departments in the area that sponsor bingo games report the same loss of players. It gets worse—the Apollo Hose Company No. 2 reports that the departments bingo games are actually losing money.

The state smoking ban prohibits smoking at most public places, including restaurants, workplaces, private clubs and a portion of casino floors. Under the law, fire departments could vote on whether to allow smoking at private events, but had no choice in banning smoking at public events. Borough Mayor Larry Prugh blames the loss of players on the recently passed smoking ban. The Mayor stated, “The crowds have been down since the smoking ban.”That’s one of their big draws is bingo.”

In almost every state that has passed a smoking ban the results have been the same for charitable bingo games. A parish near Youngstown Ohio had to do away with tuition subsidies offered to lower income parochial school students due to a drop in bingo revenue.

Many of these bingo players are switching to online bingo where they can smoke away without molestation. Smoking bans may be intended to improve the health of the population but for bingo halls across the US they are the kiss of death.