Bingo: Attorney General - Charity Bingo Parlors Must Dump Bingo Machines
At least three of the seven bingo operations in Sacramento County have received the letters, warning them they have 30 days to get rid of the popular bingo machines. Doug Pringle of the North Watt Bingo Parlor said he was devastated when he got the letter Thursday afternoon.
"Part of the equation, the frustration is Sacramento County says it's legal. The Department of Justice says it's illegal. And we're caught in the middle," said Pringle.
Representatives of the Sacramento Bingo Center on Arden Way and Freelancers Bingo in South Sacramento said they also received the letters.
Pringle, who is also president of the California Charity Alliance, said the North Watt Bingo Parlor nets about $500,000 a year for Disabled Sports USA.
Pringle said his bingo organization as well as the Society for the Blind, United Cerebral Palsy and some 1,600 charities around the state could suffer serious losses, assuming all bingo parlors around the state are receiving similar letters. Under state law, bingo can only be run by charities or for the benefit of charities.
The State Attorney General's opinion is that bingo involves paper, markers and bingo players calling the numbers. The electronic bingo machines look similar to video slots, but according to bingo operators, are simply a faster bingo game using electronic technology.
"It's quicker. Better variety," said Amber Thornton of Sacramento, playing one of the bingo machines. She said she sometimes plays the paper bingo but it costs more and takes longer.
Paul Sanchez said he wouldn't even be here but for the bingo machines. "Its more like slots. It's bingo. But they operate like slots," he said. "I can't stand (paper) bingo. My wife does bingo."
Besides being allowed by Sacramento County, Pringle said the the bingo machines are also allowed under federal law in Indian casinos, and are not counted as slot machines in the gaming compacts negotiated with tribes.
Since the proliferation of Indian casinos, Pringle said traditional paper bingo became less attractive to customers. He said when he put in the electronic bingo machines 18 months ago, business started to come back.
Many of those playing Thursday evening said if the bingo machines are taken out, they won't come back, or at least not as often as they play now.
"(Paper) bingo is too slow," said one bingo player. "The bingo machines are more fun."
Worse, the charities who benefit could lose millions.
"This is charity bingo. I don't understand why these charity people, they can't get their share ya know," said Sanchez.
"It's gonna be tragic for the charities," Pringle laments. "We serve people with disabilities, people that are hungry, homeless, disadvantaged children. And our services are gonna be cut back.
It's not fair."
A call for comment from the Attorney General's office was not returned.
Written by Mark Hedlund
www.news10.net
