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Bingo: Bingo Is Back For Parent-Teacher Organizations
For some parent-teacher groups, bingo is back.
The governor signed into law this week a bill that allows parent-teacher associations and organizations to run bingo games for their members and guests without a permit. The legislation was introduced after East Catholic High School in Manchester was cited by the state division of special revenue in November for using a money wheel in a fund-raising drive.
The school was unaware that it was breaking the law, state officials said, so no legal action was taken. But Manchester's public school administrators instructed principals and PTA leaders to cancel the turkey bingo events that were just weeks away.
The bill, approved by the legislature last month, requires parent-teacher groups to register annually with the state and pay a $50 annual registration fee to organize bingo events.
"This definitely needed to happen. It's a game. It's a game for the family," said Merrill Kidd, who was president of Manchester's townwide PTA council until last year and was an officer for the state PTA for four years.
Bingo has been legal in the state for almost 70 years, but it is closely regulated because thousands of dollars are often at stake at the nearly 200 events held each week. The state has a special bingo category called "amusement and recreation" that allows senior groups to operate games with less oversight, but until the recently adopted legislation, other groups were subject to volunteer background checks and lengthy paperwork.
For example, one form must be notarized and signed by a town's police chief or first selectman.
"The [previous] procedures were just way to onerous. ... It was killing the enthusiasm of the parents in town to put together these activities that are only creating a good social environment for kids and parents," said State Rep. Ryan Barry, who represents Manchester's 12th Assembly District and co-sponsored the new bingo legislation.
Written by Lynn Doan
www.courant.com
The governor signed into law this week a bill that allows parent-teacher associations and organizations to run bingo games for their members and guests without a permit. The legislation was introduced after East Catholic High School in Manchester was cited by the state division of special revenue in November for using a money wheel in a fund-raising drive.
The school was unaware that it was breaking the law, state officials said, so no legal action was taken. But Manchester's public school administrators instructed principals and PTA leaders to cancel the turkey bingo events that were just weeks away.
The bill, approved by the legislature last month, requires parent-teacher groups to register annually with the state and pay a $50 annual registration fee to organize bingo events.
"This definitely needed to happen. It's a game. It's a game for the family," said Merrill Kidd, who was president of Manchester's townwide PTA council until last year and was an officer for the state PTA for four years.
Bingo has been legal in the state for almost 70 years, but it is closely regulated because thousands of dollars are often at stake at the nearly 200 events held each week. The state has a special bingo category called "amusement and recreation" that allows senior groups to operate games with less oversight, but until the recently adopted legislation, other groups were subject to volunteer background checks and lengthy paperwork.
For example, one form must be notarized and signed by a town's police chief or first selectman.
"The [previous] procedures were just way to onerous. ... It was killing the enthusiasm of the parents in town to put together these activities that are only creating a good social environment for kids and parents," said State Rep. Ryan Barry, who represents Manchester's 12th Assembly District and co-sponsored the new bingo legislation.
Written by Lynn Doan
www.courant.com
