An anti-smoking law passed in Ontario this week could be the last straw for bingo halls, which are already an endangered species in the province.

At the height of their popularity, there were 240 bingo halls in Ontario, helping charities raise $250 million a year. Now just 100 are left, and charities take home a fraction of what they used to.

Bingo promoters and charities say the new law, to outlaw smoking in most indoor public places, will destroy them. An estimated 70 per cent of bingo players smoke.

Programs may not survive ban

Karen Bass runs a charity called Coping in Tough Time, one of 40 such groups that make money from the Kennedy bingo hall in Scarborough.

They survived the growth of casinos and government-approved lottery games, but they're bracing for a big drop in income when the hall's smoking room is required to close next year.

"Bingo is 90 per cent of our income," Bass said. "I don't see that we'll be able to offer the program. It's a volunteer organization, so all we need is operating expenses," but without the profit from bingo games, "we can't operate."

Bingo player Glenna Bush, who smokes, isn't sure she'll continue to play her favourite game.

"I think it's terrible," she said. "I'm going on 80. This is the only pleasure I get now."

Charities face fierce competition

The Toronto School of Art is one of 3,000 groups that have lost their bingo revenue over the past 10 years and are scrambling to find new resources.

"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."

Private bingo operators, which share their revenues with charities, have tried to remain competitive with casinos by applying for slot machine licences. So far, the province has turned down those requests.