NEW YORK, April 25 (UPI) — Operators of charity bingo games around the United States say barring players from smoking has been bad for business.

Charlie Lindstrom, who runs games at the American Legion in Fergus Falls, Minn., told The New York Times he gets 30 to 40 players on good nights, where 50 to 75 used to show up. Many of his former players go to North Dakota or to Indian reservations.

Clyde Bock, bingo manager for the Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center in Seattle, said he was able to survive by creating a partly enclosed porch area where smokers could play.

“We actually benefited from it, but for the wrong reason — my competition was forced to close,” he told the Times.

Source: UPI Link