Charity bingo operators say their struggling operations may be pushed right out of business when Ontario's tough new anti-smoking law takes effect.
Bingo has long been a source of revenue for charities, but the industry has been in decline for the past 10 years.
Operators blame competition for gaming dollars from casinos, racetracks and slot machines for conditions that have seen about 140 bingo halls – more than half of the total in Ontario – close in the past 10 years.
Funky Monkeys Kennedy Centre. Fallones Newtownabbey. Fish & Chips Restaurant. See More triangle-down; Pages Liked by This Page. Cascade Bingo Limited. It's a very spacious bingo hall with rows upon rows of tables and chairs. There was maybe around 60 people here tonight. They have a nice simple snack bar in case you get the munchies. It's such a spacious venue that you'll never feel crowded and it's not overly noisy.
Those now-shuttered bingo halls used to generate as much as $150 million a year for charities.
The situation is only expected to get worse when the bingo halls are forced to tell their clients, an estimated 70 per cent of whom are smokers, to butt out.
Legislation passed at Queen's Park this week will outlaw smoking in most indoor public places.
Those new restrictions, say bingo operators, could be the last nails in their coffins.
Privately owned bingo halls are typically run in co-operation with charities, with the profits shared between the owners and sponsors.
But as more casinos continue to pop up, Jim Towie of Kennedy Bingo says bingo operators are facing a 'disastrous' decline in customers.
For Towie's business, that situation will get worse next year when it will have to close its designated smoking room to comply with the new provincial rules.
Charities say more bingo hall closures will only make their fundraising that much tougher.
The Toronto School of Art is one of 3,000 groups that have lost their bingo revenue over the last 10 years and are scrambling to find new sources of revenue.
'It's very, very difficult, particularly for the organization I work with, which isn't a medical or child or people in crisis [organization],' said school spokesperson Shannon Shields.
'As government funding has decreased, every household is being asked eight ways to Sunday to donate money, so the competition is fierce.'
Bingo operators have sought to remain competitive with casinos by applying for slot machine licences. So far, the province has turned down those requests.
Playing bingo in Toronto will get your heart rate going in ways you didn't think possible. Head to any of these bingo hotspots and prepare yourself for some loud yelling and possibly some sweaty palms.
Here's a round-up of places to play bingo in Toronto.
The largest bingo chain in Ontario, these halls are where people go to bet some dollars and blow off some steam. It's serious here: head to two of their locations at St. Clair West and Wilson Avenue for some digital or paper bingo – oh yeah, and bring your cash, lots of it.
This Scarborough bingo hall on Kennedy Road runs four sessions daily on Fridays and weekends, and three on every other day. Super jackpots here can run up to $5,000, if you get a full card in the designated number. These people aren't playing around.
It's cash only at this big Scarborough bingo hall on Eglinton East. Good news is, it's not all rough-and-tough grannies here; there's people of all ages frequenting Dolphin. If you're a noob, though, good luck trying to hear the speedy callers.
Located in North York on Steeles, this place isn't fancy but it has jackpots that go as high as $68,000. Get all your numbers and you'll be able to pay of your student loan or mortgage easily.
Way less intense than the official halls, this weekly event is held every Wednesday between 7 and 10 p.m. Instead of using numbers, the host plays music clips from the likes of Beyonce and Stevie Wonder – all while you slowly get drunk on beer from Amsterdam Brewery.
Partnering with LolaSue, the Drake throws bingo nights every Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. sharp. It's $10 for 8 cards and $15 for 24; bottles are usually half off on those days so expect a night of drunken fun and prizes.
It's free to play at this Liberty Village pub's weekly Tuesday bingo parties. Hosted by Kaleb Roberston (the same who hosts the one at the Gladstone) it's music bingo, meaning singing along is pretty much mandatory.
In the last Thursday of every month, this bar in Little Italy hosts its Boozy Bingo event starting at 8p.m, providing drink specials throughout the evening and prizes to be won for your hard-earned work.
If being leather-clad while playing bingo is a concept that intrigues you, head to Church Street for monthly Reagle Beagle Bingo at 4 p.m. Hosted by Randy Spearhead, it's cover-free, and a drink purchase will get you a bingo card, with all proceeds going to charities.