The “Smoking Sports”: Billiards, Darts, Bowling & Golf

A landmark 2003 study in Tobacco Control identified what researchers called the “5 B’s” — bars, bowling alleys, billiard halls, betting establishments, and bingo parlours — as the workplaces with the highest levels of secondhand smoke exposure [citation:7]. These venues shared common characteristics:

• Working-class leisure spaces — not the country club or the corporate box.
• Gambling and betting — often co-occurring with smoking [citation:1].
• Long-duration activities — bowling a few frames, playing a full round of pool, or a darts tournament takes hours.
• Minimal regulation until recently — these venues were often exempt from early clean air laws.

Billiards has the longest and most storied history with smoking of any sport on this list. The game’s reputation has fluctuated dramatically over 150 years:

📜 19th Century: A Gentleman’s Game

Pool began as a gentleman’s game played by wealthy businessmen in elite clubs [citation:2]. In the 19th century, a “poolroom” was actually a place for betting on horse races; billiards tables were added to pass the time between races. This brought the game an unsavory association with gambling [citation:2].

🚬 1920s-1950s: Dens of Vice

By the 1920s, pool halls had become “dens of mostly male escape — social clubs for smoking, drinking, betting, and fighting” [citation:2]. The Great Depression cemented this reputation. In North Dakota, a 1905 state law specifically prohibited persons under 18 from entering pool halls [citation:8].

🎥 The Movies & The Hustler

The 1961 film The Hustler, starring Paul Newman, revived interest in pool — but the smoky, gritty atmosphere was central to its appeal [citation:2]. The smoke wasn’t incidental; it was part of the aesthetic of “working-class moral corruption” [citation:2].

Darts has undergone perhaps the most dramatic transformation regarding smoking. The game was born in pubs, and for decades, the image of a darts player with a cigarette dangling from their lips was iconic.

📜 The “Pub Element” (1980s-1990s)

Legendary darts referee Russ Bray, the “voice of darts,” recalls a very different era: “You used to see it in them days” — players lighting up between throws. He specifically remembers Eric Bristow (“The Crafty Cockney”) lighting a cigarette for his rival Jocky Wilson [citation:3].

🚭 The Professionalization & Smoking Ban

Today, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has completely transformed the sport. As Bray notes: “Now these guys can’t drink or anything so that pub element is dropping out of the game a lot” [citation:3]. The current world number four, Luke Littler, is 17 — “he’s not allowed to drink anyway, and smoking you’re not allowed to do inside in any case” [citation:3].

Bowling alleys had a unique split: the lanes (family-friendly) vs. the lounge (adults-only, smoky). This physical separation allowed smoking to persist long after other venues banned it.

📜 The 1970s Experience

A 1975 account from a bowling alley in Mount Airy, North Carolina, captures the era perfectly: the lounge was a “forbidden zone to us kids” where “people drank beer” while “their parents bowled and smoked cigarettes (because it was OK to smoke anywhere, just not drink)” [citation:10].

🚬 The “Alibi” — Sanctuary for Smokers

A 2003 article described how bowling alley bars became “sanctuaries” for smokers after smoking bans were implemented in the lanes themselves. At the Alibi lounge in South Windsor, Connecticut, the smoke was “thickening” on Friday nights — but none of the smokers seemed to be pining for the lanes [citation:4].

Golf’s relationship with smoking is distinct from the others. While billiards, darts, and bowling are indoor, working-class activities, golf is outdoor and often associated with leisure and business. Today, golf is ground zero for a new nicotine trend: nicotine pouches [citation:6].

🚬 The Cigar Tradition

Golf has a long tradition of cigar smoking. Course etiquette guides specifically address how to smoke without annoying playing partners: stay downwind, ash responsibly, and never put your cigar on the green [citation:5].

🧠 Nicotine as a Performance Enhancer?

Golfers are increasingly turning to nicotine pouches (like Zyn and Athletic Nicotine) for cognitive focus. As one golfer tested: “I definitely felt more confident… time had almost slowed down slightly as I got over the ball” [citation:6]. The World Anti-Doping Association approves low-dose nicotine, and many Tour players openly use it [citation:6].

Billiards, darts, bowling, and golf share several characteristics that made them natural partners for smoking:

⏱️ 1. Natural Breaks

All four sports have built-in downtime — between shots in pool, between throws in darts, between frames in bowling, between holes in golf. These breaks are perfectly timed for a quick smoke.

🏢 2. Working-Class (Indoor) Leisure

Pool halls and bowling alleys were among the few public spaces where working-class men could gather for hours without spending much money. Cigarettes were affordable, accessible, and socially expected [citation:2][citation:4].

🎲 3. Gambling Co-Occurrence

Smoking and gambling frequently co-occur. A 2009 review found that “tobacco smoking and gambling frequently co-occur… high rates of comorbid smoking and gambling have been documented… in large epidemiological surveys” [citation:1]. Billiards and darts, in particular, are often played for money.

🧠 4. Focus and “The Zone”

Precision sports require intense concentration. Nicotine improves reaction time, working memory, and sustained attention for 10-15 minutes after smoking. This short-term cognitive boost fits perfectly with the rhythm of these games.

📉 The Decline (Indoors) and Evolution (Outdoors)

Provincial smoking bans have dramatically reduced smoking in indoor sports venues. The “5 B’s” study was instrumental in pushing for workplace smoking regulations, noting that workers in these establishments “must be included in workplace smoking regulations” [citation:7].

• Indoors: Pool halls, darts clubs, and bowling alleys are now largely smoke-free across Canada.
• Outdoors: Golf courses remain the last bastion, where cigars and now nicotine pouches are common.
• The new form: Smokeless nicotine products (pouches, lozenges) are increasingly used by athletes in precision sports for cognitive focus without smoke [citation:6].