We don't charge any admission at our Bingo, thus avoiding the money/gambling connection.
We ask each family coming to bring a small(!0.00 or less) door prize. When someone gets
Bingo, they just go pick a prize off the table. No, you don't make any money, but it doesn't cost anything either--it's just a Family Fun Night. Usually the PTA puts out
some rerefreshments, but we have our own popcorn machine, so we use that and big
coolers of lemonade, etc. This way kids can join in the fun.
Gaming laws are set at the state level, and sometimes locally as well. Our state gaming commission told us that it's a shady work-around to charge "for the food" and provide the bingo card "for free". Strict constructionists would say we need a license in any situation that includes bingo and paid admission.
Your best bet for good advice is to contact your own state's gaming commission and get a copy of the license. It might be easiest to start on your state's website and do a search on bingo. Read the license carefully. There could be odd regulations that apply in your specific situation.
That's what I wanted to do with my Kiddie Tricky Tray. Charge an admission, which would include something to eat, a drink and maybe 5 tickets. It sounds to me like what you were describing for Bingo in your town, is how I'd like to do it for my Tricky Tray..and Bingo, too.
Do you by any chance have the name of who I can contact just to be sure I'm doing things by the book. That's the biggest problem, finding the correct person to talk to.
I truly do support doing things by the rules, but the Bingo laws - in my opinion - are excessive. I work in government and I know how hard it is to write rules, guidelines, procedures for anything. So I do sympathize. If you leave a loophole, people will take advantage in ways you wouldn't imagine. If you are too strict - everyone complains.
But still - this is just way over the top. In Texas you must have an approved bingo license for pretty much anything outside a few people in your living room playing for fun. We run bingo (where people buy cards) at our annual spring fling and dutifully apply for a license. But even if we charged nothing; if no one had to buy anything or bring anything - it would still be illegal to run a game without a permit.
I'm sorry, but that's just way too much regulation for me.
No money ever changed hands at our candy bar bingo nights. What triggered the "problem" was that the previous PTO board let one of our licenses (i assume our gambling license) lapse and when they wrote in/applied to renew they needed to list some of the activites and because it wasnt a "run of the mill" application I believe IMHO that THAT is what triggered the sudden notice of our bingo game. We received certified letters and they had to go to a hearing! We were given a warning and it really stinks! The kids really miss it, especially when they see other area schools ( 4 within 4 miles) all doing it!
Let me tell you, when we ran our first ever Tricky Tray last October, we crossed every t and dotted every i...not gonna happen on my watch! LOL
The kids really miss it, especially when they see other area schools ( 4 within 4 miles) all doing it!
