Nine Mecca Bingo clubs in England and Wales will temporarily close in preparation for July’s smoking ban. Rank, the gaming group that manages the clubs, said that it wanted to improve the quality of its clubs portfolio ahead of the ban, but added that it did not expect the closures to have a material effect on its 2007 profits.

The nine clubs facing closure are located in Fulham, Islington, Kingston-upon-Hull, Liverpool, Reading, Sheffield, Swansea, Welling and Wolverhampton.

Edinburgh bingo boss Mike Lowe has presented the Scottish Parliament with a petition calling for tax breaks on the industry to help it recover from the effects of the smoking ban.

Lowe, operations manager at Premier Bingo, gathered over 1400 signatures from members asking for VAT on stakes to be cut, bringing the industry in line with the rest of the gaming industry.

The European Union’s top financial regulator on Tuesday described the US legislation on online gambling and sports betting as “protectionist” and may trigger legal action before the World Trade Organisation.

The legislation makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to process online bets placed by American citizens with foreign gambling sites.