Michigan Senate OKs legislation to kill stricter charity gaming rules | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Michigan Senate OKs legislation to kill stricter charity gaming rules | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: LANSING — The Michigan Gaming Control Board intends to put new rules in place in the next week or two that will have a distinct impact on charity gaming by tightening rules for the charities putting on the events.

But the state Senate hopes to short-circuit those rules with a bill that will let the charities continue to operate as they have for the last decade. They passed a bill unanimously Thursday, basically killing many of the Gaming Control Board’s proposed rules, moving the bill to the House of Representatives for consideration.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: September 15, 2011 — An attempt to make one of three proposed casinos in Massachusetts a nonprofit entity, with earnings to be distributed to nonprofits statewide, failed to gain traction as the House yesterday voted 123-32 to create three casino and one slot machine resorts.

EDITORIAL: Small games, big need - York Dispatch

EDITORIAL: Small games, big need - York Dispatch: "And there are some who would do even more -- if the state would let them.

Nonprofits and private clubs that offer small games of chance -- such as punchboards, pull-tabs, raffles and daily and weekly drawings -- must donate all of the proceeds to charities.

How much they raise, however, is limited by a $5,000-per-week cap in prize money. When the prize money is gone, whether that happens on a Tuesday or a Friday, the games must stop until the next week."

OPINION: Nonprofits' raffles? There ought to be a brand new law | SCNOW

OPINION: Nonprofits' raffles? There ought to be a brand new law | SCNOW: "What’s at stake here is far more than lifting the roley-poley ban (or more to the point, eliminating archaic language from the state codes). A critical part of any code re-write will be an attempt to lift an absurd burden from the backs of the state’s 40,000 or so nonprofit organizations. The same law that bans roley-poley et al also prohibits any sort of public gambling. This includes raffles, poker runs, March Madness office pools and possibly, depending how one takes a certain sentence in the statute, even playing Monopoly. Potential penalties include stiff fines (up to $10,000 for lottery ticket sellers) and even jail time. Enforcement is lax — State Law Enforcement Division agents and sheriff’s deputies occasionally issue warnings when raffles are brought to their attention — but this is madness all the same."

Video Bingo Has Alabamians Yelling Everything But - NYTimes.com

Video Bingo Has Alabamians Yelling Everything But - NYTimes.com: "Whether these people are all essentially doing the same thing — playing bingo, that is — is now the subject of a fierce legal battle across Alabama, a fight with strange bedfellows and billions of dollars at stake."

Bingo can now be nonprofits’ game, oh | Moorestown Sun

Bingo can now be nonprofits’ game, oh | Moorestown Sun: "Moorestown’s nonprofit organizations will now be allowed to hold games of chance after a referendum vote during this year’s general election changes a statute that prohibits them from doing so.
According to unofficial results released by Burlington County, 5,403 registered voters made it out to the polls during this year’s general election."

ALABAMA VOICES: Battling over bingo | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser

ALABAMA VOICES: Battling over bingo | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser: "The recent federal court ruling in Madison County is constructive in understanding the complexity of the gambling laws within the state and particularly how state laws would apply to Indian gaming operations within the state of Alabama."

Bingo Debate Gets Deep- 16th Century to Now - CBS 42

Bingo Debate Gets Deep- 16th Century to Now - CBS 42: "One of the defense attorneys representing charity bingo interests said prosecutors were focused on drawing distinctions between traditional bingo and electronic bingo.
'I think that's what's attempting to be done, but I think it's been clearly pointed out in there today though that other than the fact that one involves a human being participating more significantly in the process and the other involves a computer doing it, then the basic rules of bingo are being met both electronically and in the traditional old fashioned type bingo,' said Herbie Brewer."

TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY - Bingo groups can meet with state about modernization

TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY - Bingo groups can meet with state about modernization: "A meeting set for Oct. 15 at the Corbin Bingo Parlor on Cumberland Falls Highway will address concerns of bingo groups in the area regarding the proposed modernization of the state’s Department of Charitable Gaming’s (DCG) accounting software and procurement of supplies by the groups."

How much do charities benefit from charitable gambling? State mandates star ratings; starting at 30%

How much do charities benefit from charitable gambling? State mandates star ratings; starting at 30%: "Things are changing in the world of pulltabs and other charitable gambling allowed by the state, and the Lindstrom Fire Department recently took a step out ahead of the curve. The Minnesota State Legislature revised charitable gambling laws in the last session and one of the actions sets new standards for required giving by a gambling entity. Lindstrom firefighter relief association board members Monday night voted to fine tune their system of allocating charitable gambling proceeds aligning the department with what state lawmakers are hoping to see. (See sidebar story.)"

Change rules for charity raffles | Penn State News | Opinion - Centre Daily Times

Change rules for charity raffles | Penn State News | Opinion - Centre Daily Times: "While the push mounts for table games and the opening of the remaining large casinos in the state, the General Assembly appears to have forgotten our charitable organizations.

Constant fundraising is a necessity for most charitable organizations and even more so during the current downturn.

As anyone who has ever been to a charitable raffle or bingo night knows, “small games of chance” are a vital revenue source for many non-profits, including fire departments and rescue squads."

Loss of Charitable Gaming Revenue Could Hurt Nonprofits | New Hampshire Public Radio

Loss of Charitable Gaming Revenue Could Hurt Nonprofits | New Hampshire Public Radio: "The Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling says that if the plan becomes law, the competition would undermine charitable gaming revenues.

And many nonprofits say they rely heavily on gambling to fund their services"

Charitable casino site outlawed in 2 votes | The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Charitable casino site outlawed in 2 votes | The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.: "INDIANAPOLIS – The House and Senate on Tuesday both approved a final version of a bill that will close a charity-run casino in Fort Wayne."

Courts set to decide charity bingo machine cases - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Courts set to decide charity bingo machine cases - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee: "California tribal casino representatives warn that the state risks losing tens of millions of dollars in tribal revenue-sharing payments if authorities can't shut down charitable bingo parlors that operate casino-style machines."

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- State pulls the plug on non-Indian bingo machines

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- State pulls the plug on non-Indian bingo machines: "SACRAMENTO – Delivering a big victory for gaming tribes and the Catholic Church, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that outlaws non-Indian bingo machines while authorizing high-stakes bingo for charities and nonprofits."

cbs5.com - CA Assembly Approves Charity Electronic Bingo Ban

cbs5.com - CA Assembly Approves Charity Electronic Bingo Ban: "CA Assembly Approves Charity Electronic Bingo Ban
SACRAMENTO (AP) ― The California Assembly has voted to ban charities from using electronic bingo games to raise money."

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- Church, gaming tribes reach deal on bingo machines

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- Church, gaming tribes reach deal on bingo machines: "SACRAMENTO – The Catholic Church and California's Indian gaming tribes have struck a compromise that would permit a major expansion of conventional bingo while outlawing electronic versions played on machines that look and act a lot like slots.

Amendments outlining the agreement were inserted into a bill Monday, with lawmakers scrambling to wrap up business before adjourning for the year at the the end of the month."

Tighter rules for NH 'charity gambling' await Lynch signature - NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA

Tighter rules for NH 'charity gambling' await Lynch signature - NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA: "EABROOK — A bill significantly tightening regulation of New Hampshire's $70 million charity gambling industry — including the poker rooms at Seabrook dog track — is on its way to Gov. John Lynch's office."

Texas Association for the Advancement of Charitable Bingo formed

Texas Association for the Advancement of Charitable Bingo formed: "Texas Association for the Advancement of Charitable Bingo formed
19 May 2008

AUSTIN, Texas -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Littlefield Corporation (OTCBB: LTFD) announces that it has participated with others representing approximately thirty-five (35) licensed commercial lessors in the founding of the Texas Association for the Advancement of Charitable Bingo."

$20 raffle tickets for a shot at $1.4M house? State says no - TwinCities.com

$20 raffle tickets for a shot at $1.4M house? State says no - TwinCities.com: "The deal had a chance to be sweet. Pay $20 for a raffle ticket to win a house. And not just any house. One worth $1.4 million. In Minnetonka, two blocks from scenic Lake Minnetonka.

Your chance came and went Monday, when the Minnesota Gambling Control Board blocked the idea."