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The death of the bingo hall may have been greatly exaggerated.
Mecca Bingo said today that like-for-like revenues — that is, not including new venues —over the 13 weeks of the summer are up 1% year-on-year.
Afternoons and nights out at Bingo were reckoned to have been one of the biggest victims of the smoking ban that came in the UK more than two years ago.
In 2008 Mecca reported a 13% summer slump in revenues.
But just as pub sales are coming back after a post-smoking ban dive so the smoking bingo player appears to have made adjustments to his or her routine.
Mecca is part of the Rank Group which also reported today that its Grosvenor Casinos did all right over the summer, up 1%.
