Competing bingo bills

I was up and out of Texarkana so early this morning for today's radio show that the paper hadn't been thrown yet, so I'm just now getting around to reading the Texarkana Gazette.

The editorial takes on the bingo lobby and reminds readers (and me) that the voters didn't vote for 24 hour bingo halls and cash flowing into the hands of bingo middle men. You can read the editorial here.

I agree with Dustin McDaniel's opinion (I actually think the AG opinion was from the Beebe era even though it's just now being published). I also agree with the editorial that Arkansas voters considered bingo a game that is played in Church basements and the Elks' Lodge.

However, I can also see where charities like CASA, United Way, American Red Cross, and others will be left out in the cold if we only allow charities with facilities to hold bingo games. Unfortunately, the only way those charities can play is through these "outside professionals" referenced in the Txk Gaz editorial. Is there a way to please small charities and follow through with the intent of the voters?

There are two competing bills that have been filed to date, and the one favoring small-stakes and neighborhood-style bingo is likely to get the nod from the House end of the Capitol. It is HB1426, and it is up for debate in Wednesday's House Rules Committee. I would like to see some revision to this bill, especially lines 9-12 on page 8. Otherwise, the only organizations that will be able to play will be the Elks, Moose, VFW, and similar organizations with a hall or lodge. We can amend it to help local charities with no place to hold bingo without opening the floodgates to casino-style bingo games, but we have to be careful of potential loopholes.

Here's the way to do it: (1) restrict the administrative fees to these professionals to a couple of percent and promulgate tough rules to keep an eye on the charities' bottom line (or if you want to take a hard line, just allow these charities to pool together and rent a building and staff it with their own volunteers); (2) restrict the ability to play games to a couple of days per week; and (3) hold down the stakes to follow through with the wishes of voters. I'd like to see small charities (or charities without facilities) be able to take part in this while satisfying the intent of the voters. Whatever comes of it, we need to get this right the first time. We'll see Wednesday.