Now you CAN smoke in a bingo hall

If you live in Leicestershire you will be able to smoke while playing bingo at a real bingo hall.

The smoking ban proved to be a disaster for many bingo clubs. As soon as it was introduced attendances fell off rapidly. This, along with the recession and unusual bingo taxes that have been introduced, has resulted in many halls closing down. Now a bingo hall in Leicestershire has found a legal way to beat the ban.

The club is called Beacon Bingo and it is located in the Leicestershire town of Loughborough, a new bingo site. They are planning to install a steel cage around an outside area where players can smoke. Currently there is only a canopy above the smoking area, and it is only suitable for popping outside for a quick cigarette, but by enclosing it with a steel cage it is possible to install gaming machines in it so that people can carry on playing.

The fact that the smoking area will be enclosed and cordoned off from the general public means that it will be legal to install fruit machines, and they plan to install four of them. In fact this is not the only club considering the idea. If it is shown to increase attendances the idea will be adopted by many other bingo establishments.

Although some bingo players who are smokers have expressed some trepidation about standing around in a cage, the majority welcome the idea. They say that although they can go outside for a smoke currently, they have nothing to do when they are out there which is boring. With the new gaming machines they will have something to occupy them.

The scheme is still at the planning stage, and a special gaming licence is needed before it can be but into action, but the club manager is confident that this will be granted. He is hoping that the cage will prove more effective than his previous attempt to woo back the deserted bingo smokers: that was to supply them with fake cigarettes. Unfortunately it bombed and only a hundred or so were ever sold.

The club is called Beacon Bingo and it is located in the Leicestershire town of Loughborough, a new bingo site. They are planning to install a steel cage around an outside area where players can smoke. Currently there is only a canopy above the smoking area, and it is only suitable for popping outside for a quick cigarette, but by enclosing it with a steel cage it is possible to install gaming machines in it so that people can carry on playing.