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Native Americans throughout the United States have been enjoying great success with opening new bingo halls, with North Carolina’s Catawba tribe being one of the most recent to begin a successful bingo venture. Let’s take a look at how bingo is shaping up in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
A Grocery Venue Transformed
A building that formerly housed a Bi-Lo grocery store has been transformed into a bingo hall. Players love the new furnishings, air conditioning, and comfortable seats, and many appreciate the fact that it is a smoke-free environment.
The Catawbas were forced to close their former bingo venue in 2006 amid allegations of mismanaged funds, tax difficulties, and competition from South Carolina’s state lottery, which benefits education. A 1993 land settlement with the federal and state government allowed the Catawba Indian Nation to begin offering bingo in York County, and since the closure they’ve been working hard to overcome difficulties. Construction on the new venue, located at Northeast Plaza on Cherry Road in North Hill, began in February. If the opening ceremonies were any indicator, great successes are surely on the way for the Catawbas’ most recent bingo endeavor.
A trio of retirees who attended a recent session were thrilled with the surroundings and were very happy to have the opportunity to play bingo close to home. After enjoying Rock Hill’s bingo festivities on the weekend, they told reporters that they would be returning for weekday sessions.
Catawba Nation Chief Bill Harris was on hand for the festivities. “Can you feel the positive energy in the room?” he asked reporters. “I can only feel good about this. It’s been a long time coming.” When he arrived earlier in the afternoon, people were lined up from the sidewalk to the parking lot, waiting for the doors to open. “They’re excited to see what Catawba has to offer,” he stated.
The new venue boasts seating for up to 1,300 people, and players new and seasoned alike enjoyed playing during the opening session. Catawba High Stakes Bingo is located at 2-2186 Cherry Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Electronic bingo terminals and paper bingo cards are available, and the venue is open from 2 pm to 2 am, Tuesday through Saturday, and from 3 pm to 2 am Sunday. No alcohol is permitted, and smoking is prohibited. High-stakes bingo jackpots up to $100,000 USD are available.
Woman Faces Drug Charges in Bingo Hall Bust
Bingo: We tend to think of it as a fun, mild, family friendly pastime. But some are wondering what Bingo has come to following an incident that took place at a bingo hall in Ireland. Here’s the skinny.
Woman Attempts to Distribute Cocaine at Cork Bingo Hall
Authorities in Ireland’s Cork city have arrested a fifty year old woman after she attempted to deal cocaine at a local bingo hall. The incident took place at Rock Bingo center, which is located in Togher. It was an uneventful weekday evening, and the local bingo fans were gathered to spend some time playing their favorite game. When someone noticed that 50-year old Helen Heaphy of nearby Fairhill was behaving in a suspicious manner, police were called to the scene.
After a short search, the woman was found to be in possession of quite a substantial quantity of cocaine. She was arrested on the spot. Upon her appearance at Cork District Court, she was charges with the unlawful possession of cocaine, as well as with possession with the intent to supply.
The suspect was remanded on bail until September 3rd on several conditions: She must reside at her home address, she must check in with public authorities each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and she may not enter Rock Bingo Hall, which is located at Deanrock Business and Technology Park.
The Irish Examiner reports that Heaphy’s soliciter, Diane Hallahan, has applied for legal aid on her client’s behalf, advising the court that Heaphy is currently unemployed. Judge Malone asked the soliciter for a written statement of means, after which he approved the request for free legal aid.
So far, authorities haven’t mentioned whether other bingo hall patrons were implicated in the drug bust, nor has Rock Bingo center released a statement.
Aiming for a New World Record: Biggest Bingo Balls Ever
Gala Bingo is a leading online brand that offers a variety of game rooms and plenty of perks for players. This July, the company will be meeting up with some lucky players in person to play a game of bingo with the biggest bingo balls ever, all in hopes of raising awareness about the problem of male cancer. MCAC, the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign, works to educate men and their loved ones about the importance of early cancer detection. The organization strives to build a culture in which embarrassment is no longer an issue for men who are due for routine testing or who see signs of male cancer developing.
Festivities Planned for July
While Gala Bingo is raising money for MCAC in their exclusive Coronation Street bingo room between June 20th and July 3rd, the Guinness World Record attempt will be taking place on July 18th. The fundraising campaign will culminate live on the street with an attempt at a game titled “90 ball bingo game with the largest bingo balls.” TV personality and Celebrity Masterchef contestant Alison Hammond will be hosting the game at the former Coronation Street set. Lucky players who participate in the Corrie bingo room will be in the running to win one of thirty pairs of tickets to participate in the Guinness World Record attempt.
A Guinness Records’ adjudicator will be on hand for the record attempt, and participants are assured of a great time. The VIP trip comes complete with hospitality, a tour of the Coronation Street set, and the opportunity to meet an array of famous ex-Coronation Street stars. Players will of course be doing their part to help men at risk of developing male cancer when they participate in qualifying bingo games; at the same time, they’re giving themselves the opportunity to attend a star-studded VIP bingo event after which a cheque will be presented to MCAC.
This event is a truly unique one and is fully backed by the Male cancer Awareness Campaign. According to Patrick Cox, who is the charity’s founder and CEO, “We’ve always wanted to be part of a Guinness World Record and we are hugely excited that Gala Bingo will help us to achieve this. Lots of people love bingo and lots of people love Coronation Street. This partnership will help give our campaign a vast reach to a wider audience and help us educate more men and their partners on male cancer.”
This fun, unique event is a fantastic chance for new and existing Gala Bingo members to get behind a wonderful cause and go “ball-istic.” You’ll find all the details at Gala Bingo!
Despite Lack of Bingo Halls, Game’s Popularity Increasing in Mississippi
Bingo is popular everywhere, although it is on the decline in some places. In Mississippi though, bingo has never been hotter – even though there are no bingo halls.
A Close-Up Look at Bingo in Mississippi
South Mississippi is home to a dozen casinos and more than 30 charitable groups that host bingo games in church halls and American Legion posts throughout the state’s gulf coast region and surprisingly, there is room for additional growth. Bingo players spent about $93 million USD in bingo halls during the 2013 fiscal year. Of that, about $14.7 million was used to support projects run by the organizations that host the games.
Sonny Weathersby, who is the director of the Charitable Gaming Division of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, told reporters that people frequently call the division’s offices inquiring about whether it is possible to open a bingo hall. “You can’t do that,” he stated.
All bingo operators in the state of Mississippi must be registered as nonprofits with the Internal Revenue Service and the Secretary of State’s office, and charitable bingo venues are not considered competition for casinos. “Most of the people that play bingo have been playing it all their lives,” Weathersby said. “Bingo players aren’t slot players.”
There are several successful bingo venues throughout the area, and many offer games at least a few nights a week. The higher the jackpots, the more people show up to play. “When the numbers are up, there won’t be a chair in the house,” said Gary Coon, bingo chairman for Gautier’s American Legion Post 1992. There, the same people usually sit in the same seats, and weekly bingo jackpots are $675. If no one wins, the next week’s jackpot is $700.
Regulations allow charitable venues to use as much as sixty percent of bingo income for expenses and winnings, but the other forty percent must be used for charity. The state’s gaming commission keeps bingo venues honest by auditing nonprofits once or twice annually and checking on games either weekly or monthly. In Gautier, the American Legion uses its charitable earnings to help veterans who are down on their luck, to send students to Boys and Girls State, and to help others who are in need, including victims of natural disasters.
Supporting charity is one reason 78-year old Joann Mathis says she has enjoyed bingo three times weekly for the past 35 years. Like many players, she occupies the same seat at each game and has a lucky bingo number. Hers is 13. “I was born on Friday the 13th,” she stated.
Bingo and the venues where the game is played are biggest north of Jackson. The reason there are less venues further south? “Hurricane Katrina got them,” said Weathersby. Is there hope for commercial bingo halls in Mississippi’s future? State legislators aren’t saying.
Ohio Attorney General Says Electronic Bingo is Gambling
Electronic bingo machines make game play easier for some, but Ohio’s Attorney general is protesting, likening the machines to slot machines. Is he right? Only time will tell.
Attorney General Threatens to Shut Down Bingo Venues
In an ongoing lawsuit over electronic bingo machines owned by fraternal clubs such as VFWs, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is threatening to shut down the machines, which are in operation at hundreds of charitable bingo venues throughout the state. The suit was brought by the clubs, who responded en masse to the AG’s threat.
“Charitable groups – as long as they’re properly licensed – they can run raffles and bingo. But Ohio law prohibits bingo of any type from being run over a computer terminal. And that’s clearly what these are. That means it’s a slot machine. And only casinos and racinos are permitted under Ohio law to operate slot machines,” DeWine’s spokesman, Dan Tierney told reporters.
The Franklin County judge in the matter has refused to drop the charitable organizations’ lawsuit as the AG requested, saying that the electronic bingo terminals can indeed be likened to bingo games. Spokesman Tierney is not certain when pretrial dates will be set, as the judge’s preliminary decision to allow the case to move forward came in just a few days ago. So far, the Ohio Veterans and Fraternal Charitable Coalition has not commented publicly on the matter.
The electronic bingo machines were installed by the Ohio Lottery Commission. There are about $22 million USD worth of new machines operating in the state’s many lodges and clubs, and the dispute between the charitable groups and the Attorney General’s office is longstanding; the fight began last year.
Franklin County Common Please Judge Stephen L. McIntosh’s ruling is only preliminary, but it seems as if charitable groups may be able to keep their machines. In his recent ruling, he concluded that the devices do classify as bingo games operated for charity, and this is an activity the state of Ohio’s laws allow.
Bingo Attendance Dwindling in New York State’s Southern Tier
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The “Beer and Bingo” Budget: Patronizing or Not?
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Electronic Bingo Coming to Ontario’s Thunder Bay? It’s Possible!
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New Bingo Hall Proposed for Salem: Fans Could Soon Play Daily
A recent bid for the legalization of casinos was struck down in New Hampshire, but bingo venues are so popular that they’re looking for room to grow. read more
Bingo Hacks: How Do They Work?
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