South Town Bingo, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, closed down two weeks ago, after income began to decrease dramatically after smoking was banned from the town's bars. Many players ceased visiting the bingo hall, and chose instead to drive to other neighboring towns without bans.

Although members of the charitable gambling industry, which holds events such as charity bingo and fund-raiser nights, reported the dramatic loss to lawmakers, it seems unlikely that the ban will be lifted. Pat McKone, a smoking ban supporter, claims that charity gambling proceeds have been slowly falling for the past twenty years, and the current drop is preferable in the long term, considering the health care savings that will take its place.

State officials are under pressure to change or lift the smoking ban in Hennepin County, where bar and pub owners have complained that their customers have decided to cross county lines to places where they may still smoke. An attempt to pass a state-wide smoking ban was made earlier this year, but failed when a House committee defeated the proposal.