Ohio bingo halls have changes coming next month because of the new casino law. Will the changes put smaller bingo halls out of business?
The new casino law goes into effect in Sept. 2010. With it comes big changes for bingo halls.
As part of House Bill Number 519, payout limits will be increased from $3,500 to $6,000, and bingo halls can be open three days instead of two per week.
While this sounds like good news for the bingo halls, some smaller halls, that raise money for charity, think it will actually hurt their business.
"The Deaf Service Center was founded in 1991 to provide services for deaf and hard of hearing people," said John Moore, CEO of Deaf Center Services.
Through his interpreter, Moore explained how more than 3,000 people using the center rely on bingo money.
"The smaller bingo halls aren't going to be able to compete, and it may actually force them to close, and in that sense it's going to hurt the charities they support," said Moore.
Franklin County has 64 bingo halls, and statewide there are approximately 1,500 that generate more than $1 billion in revenue, according to Ted Hart, Spokesman for The Ohio Attorney General's Charitable Law Section.
There are at least four bingo halls, including the Deaf Service Center, within six miles of the Hollywood Columbus Casino, and Moore says they're worried about the impact on their charities.
"The bingo halls are a very important part of Central Ohio, and I hope the casinos being set up don't destroy that way of life," said Moore.
One of the sponsors of the casino law, Representative Kenny Yuko said, "The bingo section was done with good intentions." I think we responded in a very sensitive way, yet a realistic way. I don't think we created something that would be so great they could never raise their entry fees," said Yuko.
"We're just going to have to live with it and kind of accomodate to the new law and make the best out of what we have," said Moore.
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