Smoking bingo players in Colorado can take a long drag on their cigarettes and breathe out a sigh of relief. The Colorado Senate has voted in favor of exempting bingo halls from a statewide smoking ban, bringing the bill one step closer to fruition. Under the proposed bill, bingo halls join racetracks, cigar bars, casinos, select beverage bars, and special airport smoking zones as the only locations in Colorado to remain exempt from the smoking ban.

The row over smoking in Colorado has paralleled similar fights in many other U.S. states and Canadian provinces that directly affects the future of bingo halls across North America. Bingo hall operators in Colorado would most likely see the new legislation as a victory, as they are now unlikely to see slumping attendance figures in their bingo establishments.