July 1 of this year will see a smoking ban imposed on all public places in England and Wales, and as the current proposed legislation will not exempt private members clubs, this will make lighting up in bingo halls up and down the country illegal.

In Scotland, a smoking ban was put into place in March 2006, and early reports suggest that this has created a dire situation for the country's many bingo venues. Income, and as a result, prize money, has dropped by anything from 17% up to 26%, and many bingo clubs have already closed their doors.

Gavin Blowman, head of marketing at Britain's most popular online bingo website, Jackpotty.com suggests, "This will inevitably lead to more people joining online bingo websites as they allow members to play in the comfort of their own home.

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"You gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" - Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs