In spite of the smoking ban, the recently approved gambling laws and the double tax burden the bingo industry is facing, Rank Bingo has informed that it has experienced a modest improvement in trading at its Mecca halls.

"We have achieved a degree of success in adjusting to the smoking ban and the new gaming regulations and have taken timely action to protect profits. Nevertheless we are conscious that the difficult consumer climate is likely to make 2008 a challenging year for the gaming sector," a spokesperson for the company explained in a statement.

Rank has taken a series of measures to encourage players to continue attending bingo clubs. These measures include the addition of outside enclosures at 50 of its venues and the introduction of “interval bingo” games for smoking players.

The Rank Group also owns Grosvenor Casinos, in which revenues declined 8 per cent and admissions decreased 14 per cent. However, spend per head went up 5 per cent, which represents an improvement compared with the performance in the last four months of 2007.