Legal vs. Illegal Bingo

Before legalization, New York State, with its many $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000 jackpot prizes, topped all other states with its illegal Bingo handle of $200 million. The New York State Lottery Control Commission reported that the gross handle during New York's first year of legalization, with a jackpot prize limit of $250, was $41,390,243, and paid admissions were 12,046,474. Remember that, like other businessmen, few gambling promoters, legal or illegal, report all their winnings to state and Federal authorities.

The action of the 22 million players throughout the United States in recent years was handled by about 130,000 Game parlors, some of which operated daily, many weekly, others only once or several times during the year. About 60,000 of these were operating within the law in the states where the game was legal. The remaining 70,000 game parlors, at church, club and civic affairs, at casinos and carnivals, fairs, amusement parks, arcades and other amusement centers, operated in direct violation of state gambling laws.

The players, of course, don't object, and the local politicians and law-enforcement agencies don't want to buck hundreds of thousands of Bingo players who vote, especially when the Bingo sessions are run under the auspices of churches, synagogues and patriotic, fraternal and charitable organizations, with the profits going toward the support of hospitals, parochial schools and social-welfare programs.

Legalization doesn't end the game controversy either; it remains a point of dispute between Catholic and Protestant clergy, and the split between these religious groups is as wide as on any point of doctrine. There can, however, be no argument that the game has raised more money for more charitable groups than any other form of fund raising. It largely supports thousands of veterans' groups, uncounted Catholic grade schools, hundreds of volunteer fire departments; it has aided scores of welfare organizations, raised funds for hospitals and needy families, and given GIs here and abroad trips home to visit their families. Many synagogues and parishes owe their very start to the game. Most U.S. military installations throughout the world have weekly Bingo games, the proceeds going to some worthy charity. This game is rapidly becoming popular in Asia, Africa, Europe, South America and wherever GIs are stationed. It is now played in every part of the world and is obviously here to stay.