"OLDER THAN AMERICA" Trailer

A woman's haunting visions reveal a Catholic priests sinister plot to silence her mother from speaking the truth about the atrocities that occurred at a Native American boarding school. A contemporary drama of suspense, Older Than America delves into the lasting impact of the cultural genocide that occurred at Indian boarding schools across the U.S. and Canada.

SW Iowa News - Second phase of lottery security starts Monday

SW Iowa News - Second phase of lottery security starts Monday:
"Starting today, Iowa lottery players can receive a receipt every time they check or cash a lottery or instant-scratch ticket at any retailer.
The receipts are the second phase of the Iowa Lottery's enhanced player security program.
New security measures were implemented in March with the 'Sign it' campaign, which requires a signature on the back of every redeemed ticket.
'By having the player sign the back of the ticket and having a receipt available any time a lotto or scratch ticket is checked or cashed, both the player and the retailer are protected,' said Iowa Lottery Acting Chief Executive Officer Ken Brickman.
Beginning today, two receipts will be printed - one for the retailer and one for the lottery player - that show whether a ticket has won. The new step helps ensure the player receives the prize due, without any confusion over the amount.
'The Iowa lottery wants to do everything it can to prevent even the slightest possibility of fraud,' Brickman said.
Only pull-tabs will be exempt from new receipt procedures because the amount is already printed plainly on the front of the ticket."

Farmington Press

Farmington Press:
"Members also voted to allow the VFW to sell Missouri Lottery Pull Tabs on public property during the Country Days weekend.

Two pieces of legislation approved will allow for contracted maintenance to be done at the Farmington Water Park in the way of painting prior to the park opening for the season, and for engineering design and construction services to be done by Taylor Engineering for readying one of the city’s wells for radionuclide removal.

Radionuclides are microscopic particles which naturally are generated in the earth’s crust and can be found in some groundwater sources. While the amount of radionuclide contamination has not significantly changed in Farmington’s drinking water system in the past several decades, the amount of radionuclides allowed in public drinking water systems by the federal government has been lowered significantly in the past decade.

Now the city must put measures in place to bring the water system in compliance with the stricter federal guidelines."

TMNews.com | The Times-Mail - Bedford, Indiana newspaper

TMNews.com The Times-Mail - Bedford, Indiana newspaper:
"What they are

Pull tabs are multi-layered paper or cardboard tickets that are usually sold for 25 cents to $2.
Symbols or numbers are hidden under perforated flaps and when these flaps are torn open, the ticket will reveal the symbols and numbers. The winning combination of symbols and numbers is printed on the other side of the ticket.
Punch boards are usually cardboard containers that have hundreds of holes with slips of papers in them. A player is sold a chance to use a punch and remove the paper slip on which will be numbers or symbols that determine if a player has won money or not."

TMNews.com | The Times-Mail - Bedford, Indiana newspaper

TMNews.com The Times-Mail - Bedford, Indiana newspaper:
"Legalizing low-stakes games of chance in bars will help bars make ends meet, some say, while others say it’s just more proliferation of gambling in Indiana.
Passed during the most recent legislative session, a bill is in place that will put pull tabs, tip boards and punch boards in bars on July 1 — legally.
Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association, sees the legislation as something that can aid bar and tavern owners, while not hurting anyone.
“It’s not going to be anything by which to build a business model,” Klopfenstein said. “But it can potentially be a nice little ancillary revenue stream for bars.”
Klopfenstein anticipates an average bar will increase its revenue by about $20,000 a year by offering the low-stakes games of chance, and he believes 1,000 to 1,500 will initially get in the business with the number eventually topping out at about 2,000 bars and taverns in Indiana selling the tickets.
Those opposed to pull tabs, tip boards and punch boards in bars and taverns, Klopfenstein said, are the same people who opposed putting the slot machines at the horse race tracks and any other expansion of gambling in Indiana.
Count Indiana House Republican Leader Brian Bosma among that group."

Wisconsin's tax credits

Film Production in Wisconsin

"were an essential contextual element" to encourage films to shoot in the state, Lawton said. Under the tax credits, a film production can claim credit for 25% of the salaries paid to Wisconsin residents for films made here; 25% of the production expenses for using services headquartered in the state; and 100% of the sales taxes paid on the purchase of personal property used for the production.

Guilty plea in hockey group swindle

Guilty plea in hockey group swindle:
"A former employee of the Brooklyn Park Youth Hockey Association pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing from the organization's pulltab receipts.
Laurie Marie Jones, 46, of Blaine, who had been charged with embezzling about $461,000, is to be sentenced in May for theft by swindle of more than $35,000. The embezzling began in early 2004 and continued through mid-2006, according to charges filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Jones, the assistant manager of pulltab gambling for the hockey association, was responsible for ordering pulltabs from distributors, picking up both cash and unsold tickets from closed games, then depositing money into the organization's account.
Jones also was in charge of keeping records and overseeing audits performed by the Brooklyn Park Youth Hockey Booster Association."

Daniels OKs pull-tab bill; games debut July 1 | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Daniels OKs pull-tab bill; games debut July 1 IndyStar.com The Indianapolis Star:
"Indiana taverns will be allowed to offer pull tabs and other small-stakes games under a bill Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law Wednesday.
House Enrolled Act 1153 allows taverns to offer pull tabs, tip boards and punchboards starting July 1. The highest price for a game under the law would be $1, with a maximum payout of about $500.

Daniels, however, signed the bill with reservations and considered allowing it to become law without his approval -- the third option he has in addition to signing a bill or vetoing it.

'For the first time, he considered not signing a bill that came to him,' said Jane Jankowski, the governor's press secretary. 'But in the end, he decided that would be a cop-out.'"

KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Woman charged for stealing thousands from pull tab business

KTUU.com Alaska's news and information source Woman charged for stealing thousands from pull tab business:
"KENAI, Alaska (AP) - An employee at a pull-tab business has been arrested for stealing more than $53,000 to support an addiction to painkillers.
Brandi M. Montague of Soldotna, was charged last week with first degree theft after an annual audit at River City Pull Tabs revealed an unexplained loss.
The business is owned and operated by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, which contacted police.
Police say the alleged theft occurred between July 2006 and June 2007.
According to court documents, Montague said she used the money to support her addiction to painkillers and would rip the pull tabs and cash out any winnings.
Michelle Glaves is executive director of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce.
She says Montague worked as a pull tab clerk at River City Pull Tabs for about three years.
She said she couldn't comment on why the chamber suspected Montague."

Daniels warily signs pull-tabs into law | The Journal Gazette

Daniels warily signs pull-tabs into law The Journal Gazette:
"INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels hesitated before signing a bill Wednesday that would allow Hoosiers to gamble in bars and taverns around the state.
Instead, he considered allowing it to become law without his signature – a move somewhere between approval and veto.
In the end, Daniels released a statement saying he decided “to accede and defer to the clear will of the people’s representatives and sign (House Enrolled Act) 1153, permitting tightly regulated, low-stakes wagering in Indiana’s for-profit taverns, matching that already legal in non-profit establishments.”
He went on to say that Hoosiers believe in freedom but also personal responsibility in the exercise of liberties.
“I sign this bill with misgivings and caution, and the hope that any Hoosiers who choose to risk their money in these games will do so responsibly and with extreme care,” Daniels said.
It was one of 19 bills that the governor signed into law Wednesday.
The gambling measure allows bars and taverns to offer Type II gaming, which largely consists of small paper games of chance like pull-tabs, punchboards and tipboards, starting this July."

The Herald Bulletin - 8:13 p.m.: Bar owners ready for pull tabs

The Herald Bulletin - 8:13 p.m.: Bar owners ready for pull tabs:

"Tavern owners are hoping pull-tab games will strengthen their customer base beginning this summer.

Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday signed a law allowing bars to offer pull tabs and other forms of low-stakes gambling.
“I think everybody is ready,” said Sherry Watson, owner of the Third Base Pub in Anderson.
She estimated that most local bars would use pull tabs to boost sales, and that the games would bring older customers back to her bar.
“I think the pull tabs appeal more toward older people,” Watson said.
Paper pull tabs come in a variety of game styles, but most cost $1 and pay off when the player pulls a perforated tab to reveal numbers that match digits on the outside of the card."

Small-stakes wagers | The Journal Gazette

Small-stakes wagers The Journal Gazette:
"While Hoosiers have every reason to be concerned about any significant new expansion of legal gambling, the legislature’s decision to allow taverns to sell pull-tabs and tip boards is fair and acceptable.
The bill, which Gov. Mitch Daniels should sign, would put taverns back on even footing with alcohol-serving veterans organizations and private clubs, which received legislative approval last year to offer the small-stakes gambling. Some – perhaps many – taverns already offer tip boards and pull-tabs under the table, so it’s difficult to believe that legalizing them will create much new gambling. This legislation will allow taxpayers to receive a small percentage of revenues that the games already generate.
At the same time, the state will not rely too much on the unstable revenue. The state is expected to receive $5 million to $25 million a year – less than the amount from just one riverboat casino.
Lawmakers never gave a real hearing to the concerns of tavern owners after a state crackdown in 2005 ended the revenue from electronic slot machines that owners had come to rely on for many years despite their illegality. State government’s decision to enforce the law was correct, but legislators never really heard bar owners’ pleas to at least consider legalizing them. Giving tavern owners a small piece of the gambling pie is reasonable.
Still, part of the legislation allows raffles and winner-take-all drawings, a more questionable activity that wasn’t adequately probed during hearings. State regulators should closely monitor the drawings, and lawmakers should reconsider that portion of the law next year."

Small-stakes wagers | The Journal Gazette

Small-stakes wagers The Journal Gazette:
"While Hoosiers have every reason to be concerned about any significant new expansion of legal gambling, the legislature’s decision to allow taverns to sell pull-tabs and tip boards is fair and acceptable.
The bill, which Gov. Mitch Daniels should sign, would put taverns back on even footing with alcohol-serving veterans organizations and private clubs, which received legislative approval last year to offer the small-stakes gambling. Some – perhaps many – taverns already offer tip boards and pull-tabs under the table, so it’s difficult to believe that legalizing them will create much new gambling. This legislation will allow taxpayers to receive a small percentage of revenues that the games already generate.
At the same time, the state will not rely too much on the unstable revenue. The state is expected to receive $5 million to $25 million a year – less than the amount from just one riverboat casino.
Lawmakers never gave a real hearing to the concerns of tavern owners after a state crackdown in 2005 ended the revenue from electronic slot machines that owners had come to rely on for many years despite their illegality. State government’s decision to enforce the law was correct, but legislators never really heard bar owners’ pleas to at least consider legalizing them. Giving tavern owners a small piece of the gambling pie is reasonable.
Still, part of the legislation allows raffles and winner-take-all drawings, a more questionable activity that wasn’t adequately probed during hearings. State regulators should closely monitor the drawings, and lawmakers should reconsider that portion of the law next year."

Casper Star-Tribune Online - Casper

Casper Star-Tribune Online - Casper:
"Wyoming law forbids gambling unless a nonprofit corporation operates bingo or pull tabs to raise money, and the law requires the game to be traditional paper bingo with players using daubers to mark the numbers on the cards.

Electronic bingo is illegal except at casinos operated by Indian tribes. E-bingo can play like gambling machines in Las Vegas-style casinos, and depending on the games and machines, e-bingo players can finish up to 90 cards a minute.

Some fraternal organizations and nonprofit organizations had e-bingo machines until January 2005 when the Wyoming Supreme Court declared them gambling machines. Those organizations claimed the loss of those machines cost them significant revenues compared to offering only paper bingo.

Now, two major bingo halls remain in Casper: Hilltop Bingo operated under the auspices of the Lions Club of Casper, and Troopers Bingo operated under the auspices of The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps."

Pull tabs could (legally) return to bars | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

Pull tabs could (legally) return to bars The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"Hoosier bar and restaurant owners moved closer to being able to offer pull tabs and other gaming Wednesday when the Indiana Senate narrowly approved a bill authored by Rep. Dennis Tyler, D-Muncie.
'I was not really surprised,' said Tyler, who thought the measure had enough support to reach a conference committee.
Last year, the Legislature approved a charity gaming bill that allowed forms of gaming for non-profit private organizations, mostly operated by churches and fraternal groups.
Lawmakers also approved slot machines at Indiana's horse tracks, and more perks for casino gaming, but left neighborhood bars and taverns with no gaming.
The 26-21 vote reflected bar and restaurant owner concerns that they had been hard hit by everything from gaming crackdowns by the state to public smoking bans imposed by local government."

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Smoking ban, economy blamed for decrease in gambling revenue

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal - Smoking ban, economy blamed for decrease in gambling revenue:

"Charitable gambling revenue — much of which comes from pull-tabs — is down in many areas of Otter Tail County and Minnesota in general since the smoking ban went into effect this past Oct. 1.
In Fergus Falls, the American Legion and VFW pump thousands of dollars into youth programs each year. Any drop in pull-tab revenue and a decrease in other revenue coming from bingo, meat raffles and similar charitable operations, could have adverse effects.
Fergus Falls American Legion, which provides more than $10,000 annually to the local American Legion baseball program, is seeing revenues from pull-tabs and bingo down roughly 25 percent since the smoking ban went into effect.
Charlie Lindstrom, gambling manager and adjutant for the Fergus Falls American Legion cautions, however, that it’s not just the smoking ban that’s affecting pull-tab revenues. He sees revenue drops at both the Legion club on the south side of Fergus Falls and also at Five Star Bingo which the Legion operates on the north side of downtown.
“Certainly, we’re losing some pull-tab revenue at both locations, with the smoking ban a major factor,” Lindstrom said. “At the same time, however, I’m convinced that some people are simply spending less money on gambling. People have less disposable income.”"

Journal and Courier Online - News

Journal and Courier Online - News:

"Mom's Place, a tavern on Lafayette's north end, went from pulling in $25,000 a month to $10,000 a month as customers who used to play the devices no longer came in.
'People here like to gamble. Doesn't matter if it's slots or lottery tickets,' Nobile said. 'Business went down for us. And think about it -- we pay sales tax every month, not just alcohol but food. That's a lot of money the state is not getting.'
She supports House Bill 1153, which would allow bars and taverns in Indiana to offer pull tabs and other low-stakes gambling."

Bill Targets Illegal Gambling Machines - Politics News Story - WRC | Washington

Bill Targets Illegal Gambling Machines - Politics News Story - WRC Washington:

"'These machines have sprung up almost like a disease,' Miller said, answering reporters' questions about the bill, which is set to be introduced Wednesday.
Supporters say the recent proliferation of illegal gambling machines in southern Maryland and other parts of the state must be stopped, because they are creating an underground economy with no state oversight.
'We need to take the money out of these private entrepreneurs who are operating illegally in the state and what we need to do is get a handle on this so that the state can once again get control of the lottery revenues,' Miller, D-Calvert, said.
The measure targets gambling on electronic slot machines, video poker, electronic bingo and electronic pull tabs.
Sen. Thomas 'Mac' Middleton, D-Charles, is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, and Delegate Frank Turner, D-Howard, is sponsoring a similar measure in the House.
Anne Arundel and Calvert counties are allowed to use instant bingo machines for charitable purposes. The trouble apparently took root after people saw them being used, causing bars and restaurants in Baltimore city and other counties to start setting them up too, without authorization."

South Bend Tribune: The hard facts on 'easy' money

South Bend Tribune: The hard facts on 'easy' money:

"The fact is, every grocery and drugstore, gas station and convenience stop sells lottery tickets these days. They're sold over the counter or from vending machines.

There is a casino within a short drive of virtually every Hoosier. Casinos started out as riverboats and have edged ever farther inland. Of course we also have horse tracks -- now with slot machines.

This year the General Assembly is contemplating allowing pull tabs -- low-stakes paper gambling methods -- in bars and
taverns.

The argument is one of fairness: Pull tabs are allowed at bars operated by charitable lodges. The edge this gives the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, the Elks and others is hurting bar business. To compete, bar owners say, bars need a gambling draw of their own.

That argument ignores the fact that nonprofit fraternal organizations, unlike for-profit bars, use their income for causes that often benefit their communities. But the central concern is this: Easy money comes from the pockets of hard-working people. Some of them are Hoosiers who can't afford to lose the dollars they put on the ponies or pump into slot machines."

Indiana considers pull-tabs at bars

Indiana considers pull-tabs at bars:

"INDIANAPOLIS -- It used to be easy to gamble at the Marengo Tavern in Crawford County.
Customers could play electronic games like Cherry Masters or buy paper pull-tabs at the bar. A few times the place got busted, forcing owner Tony Main to pay fines.


But with last year's statewide crackdown on illegal wagering, the Marengo Tavern was forced to stop the games, a move that has made paying the bills a bit of a struggle, Main conceded.
Now, the Indiana General Assembly is considering legislation that would allow the Marengo Tavern to bring back at least some of its gambling business -- this time legally."

State may take a chance on pull tabs

Indiana lawmakers appear ready to expand gambling by giving bars and taverns the right to offer paper pull tabs.
HOUSE BILL 1153
The legislation would allow paper gaming -- pull tabs, punchboards and tip boards -- in Indiana businesses that are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. The bill also would:• Limit games to be sold for a maximum of $1.• Require that $1 games have a 75 percent payout.• Require 25-cent games to pay out at a rate of 65 percent; dime games would pay out at 60 percent.• Charge a 10 percent excise tax on an establishment's purchase of the games.• Distribute revenue generated from the excise tax to cities, towns and school districts in that county.• Distribute two-thirds of the tax money to municipalities and one-third to schools.• Divvy up tax revenue based on population and enrollment.• Place the Indiana Gaming Commission in charge of regulating the games.WHAT'S NEXTThe Indiana House voted 62-36 to pass HB 1153 on to the Senate. The legislation has been assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee. That committee's chairman, Sen. Robert L. Meeks, R-LaGrange, has signed on as a sponsor of the bill. A hearing date for the legislation has not been set.
Under legislation passed by the Indiana House last week, more than 7,000 bars, taverns and restaurants across the state would be allowed to offer the pull tabs and other forms of low-stakes gambling.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it already has received support from some key lawmakers.
This marks the second consecutive year that state legislators have considered proposals that would expand gambling in Indiana. Last year, they voted to allow slot machines at the state's two horse tracks.

Pull-tabs earn House go-ahead | The Journal Gazette

Pull-tabs earn House go-ahead The Journal Gazette:
"INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana House voted 62-36 Tuesday to allow bars and taverns around the state to offer paper pull-tabs and other low-stakes gambling games.
Rep. Matt Bell, R-Avilla, co-author of House Bill 1153, told his fellow representatives that bars and taverns are struggling and these games could add $1,000 to $2,000 a month in revenue to their bottom line.
“This bill answers the pleas of small-business men across the state,” he said.
The measure legalizes paper pull-tabs, punchboards and tipboards – small paper games of chance currently used for charitable gaming in fraternal clubs and other non-profit organizations."

Smoking ban affecting pull tabs (Proctor, Minnesota) 01-30-2008

Smoking ban affecting pull tabs (Proctor, Minnesota) 01-30-2008:
"This law does not only protect bartenders, it is meant to provide a safe working environment for everyone in the state. This includes those who sell the pull tabs, like Michelle Atwater, 23, who has worked at the PowerHouse for a year. Michelle smokes about a half a pack of cigarettes per day, but she is pleased with the outcome of the Freedom to Breathe Act. “It’s less smoky in here, my clothes don’t stink when I go home from work.”
Pull tabs affected
The pull tab charitable gambling operations in the PowerHouse and Tailgate lounge are run by the Irving Community Club. Donations to area charities such as The Salvation Army, and the Duluth Food Shelf could be reduced if fewer smokers go out and play.
“Oh, it’s been affected,” said Genny Hinnenkamp, gambling manager of the Irving Community Club, “we took the [pull tab] booth out of the Pit Stop in Proctor.”"

Statewide smoking ban dies in committee; pull tabs OK'd | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

Statewide smoking ban dies in committee; pull tabs OK'd The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"INDIANAPOLIS -- Mom and pop bars and restaurants found some hope Wednesday as a House committee killed a statewide smoking ban while legalizing pull tabs and punch boards for businesses licensed to sell alcohol.
'Tobacco is still a legal product,' said Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of Indiana Licensed Beverage Association."

South Washington County Bulletin | Take a chance – get help or suffer

South Washington County Bulletin Take a chance – get help or suffer:

"You play a few pulltabs and walk away — usually a loser — right? Ernie, a local man, was a winner. He kept playing. He kept winning, bought new bicycles for his children and felt on top of the world.
The winning streak in pulltabs progressed to gambling at the casinos and lasted about two years, he said. Then he began to lose.
Four years later, Ernie finally admitted he had an addiction to gambling and joined a Gamblers Anonymous support group. Now, he’s starting a GA group in Cottage Grove."

Chicagoist: Your Weekend Crime Blotter

Chicagoist: Your Weekend Crime Blotter:

"And you thought your dad's rec room was cool: Cops in New Chicago, Indiana (where's that, you ask? Right here!) have busted two seniors for running a bar/casino. This wouldn't be a big deal, of course, if it wasn't out of one of their houses. Is it really that hard to find $1.50 beers in Indiana and a game of pulltabs? Apparently so - over a three hour raid, over 5,000 pull tab games, two dozen slot machine motherboards, and several hundred tip boards. What, no baccarat? Weak."

Green Bay Packers

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants

At the lengendary Lambeau Stadium!

Go Packers! We are going to put the beat down on the G-men!

Cold or Ice...who cares.

Happy New Year

I hope that 2008 will be good to everyone!

Don

Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You (Live)

Check out this live performance from Alicia Keys! Wow.

Alicia Key’s New CD "As I Am"

Review Current mood: cheerful Category: Music

A Krucial Keys effort

Alicia Key's said in her Thanks section that As I Am was my most "given from the heart" and "mirror of reflection" album to date." It has been four years since her last album was released, The Diary of Alicia Keys. As I Am will not disappoint any Alicia Key's fans. But can it live up to that very successful sophomore album and get any new fans?
I say absolutely! If I Ain't Got You hit the passion overload with everyone on Diary. It absolutely hooked me as a believer in Alicia Key's talents. I think Like You'll Never See Me Again on As I Am is comparable. But to live up to that "got you" passion many live versions must be heard. Superwoman and Lesson Learned with John Mayer are vintage Alicia, great vocals, hooks and lyrics. Alicia sometimes sticks with tried and true melodies too much on her records. And her experimental songs are left up to her live performances. If you missed Alicia's performance at the American Music Awards this year it showed how Alicia expands her musical talent with other music genres. The Reggae and Dancehall legends; Junior Reid, Chaka Demus and Pliers along with Beenie Man complemented Alicia's compilation performance. And stole the show and peer audience.
I will only comment on my favorite songs on this enhanced CD, but all of the songs are good for there own reason. The Thing About Love is a very catchy Doo Wop vibe. (Just up my alley.) Wreckless Love, Sure Looks Good To Me and Go Ahead resonates rhythm and Blues. And the prerelease No One tells it like it is.
I believe in Alicia as a outstanding composer, writer and performer. Her passion is what makes Alicia who she is. She gives it all in every song and it shows. If you asked her why that song was on the album or why did you harmonize it that way, she would completely convince or change the critic's outlook. That includes not only the meaning behind the lyrics but the beats, drums, horns, partnership etc. It give each person an appreciation of her valuable contribution to the music industry. On this enhanced CD there is a behind the scenes studio video that explains Alicia's reasons for Horns and Drums on certain songs on this album. It is a must see.
Hopefully most people don't forget that Alicia not only writes, produces, composes and sings on her songs but she also plays the piano, drums quite well. Of course most critics will find some fault in this album, but once again the lyrics tell her personal journey with a passion that only Alicia can do, As I Am.
So just purchase this album, sit back and enjoy!

Go to all my Amazon Reviews and add a comment!

Currently listening : As I Am By Alicia Keys Release date: 13 November, 2007

Enit shirts available!

Here is my new design for Enit merchandise.

http://www.cafepress.com/ddbaz

Blog

Dam its hard to keep all of these different outlets up and running smooth! How about the Packer game last night. Brett Favre is the best! And at age 38.

I am looking forward to going into enemy territory this Sunday. I will be going to Kansas City for the Green Bay Packer game. Wish me luck. I hope to stay out of trouble.

Peace

FOXNews.com - Nike Unveils N7 Air Native Shoe Designed for Native Americans - Business And Money | Business News | Financial News

FOXNews.com - Nike Unveils N7 Air Native Shoe Designed for Native Americans - Business And Money Business News Financial News:

"Nike Unveils N7 Air Native Shoe Designed for Native Americans"

WELCOME TO HARMYLAND: More pics

WELCOME TO HARMYLAND: More pics

I would like to thank Rod Pocowatchit's blog for the pictures. The film The Only Good Indian is directed by Kevin Willmott. My sister Thirza Defoe will be in the film.

Timberjay Newspapers Online

Timberjay Newspapers Online:
"In other business Monday, the council: ‰Tabled a decision on the American Legion Post 480’s request to sell pull-tabs in the Orr Municipal Liquor Store. The Legion had entered into an informal agreement with the Voyageur Trail Society Inc. not to compete with the snowmobile club on pull-tab sales at the liquor store or The Dam in exchange for an annual contribution of $5,000. But the snowmobile club, citing a dramatic reduction in pull-tab receipts, recently stopped making the donation. Mayor Dale Long said the club’s pull-tab agreement for the liquor store runs through 2008 and that he had just received information on pull-tab sales from the club’s gambling manager Terrie Hoff and had not had time to review it."

King of the hawkers pulls tab on competition : Local Columns : Evansville Courier Press

King of the hawkers pulls tab on competition : Local Columns : Evansville Courier Press:

"I am in the bingo hall selling pull tabs and I am a lion among sheep. Other parents — like me, volunteers, helping raise money for our children's school — quietly cruise the aisles with their pull-tab buckets, watching the clock, eager for their four hours of service in the smoky bingo haze to be over."

Winona Daily News - 6.0

Winona Daily News - 6.0:
"Being a native of Rushford, Minn., we had a similar situation. We had an old dilapidated two-story depot sitting on abandoned railroad tracks next to our fire station. A lot of people wanted to tear it down, but luckily my father, Alton Morken, an antique collector and local historian, saw the potential of saving a big part of our history and formed a group. They got the rights for pull-tabs at our local municipal liquor store for a few years, among other fundraisers, and restored it. Today it’s the hub of the Root River bike trail, half used by the DNR and the other half as a Rushford Museum."

New hope for Florida bingo halls, charities

New hope for Florida bingo halls, charities:
"FLORIDA -- As reported by the Florida Sun-Sentinel: 'A new form of legalized gambling — one that has raked in millions in other states — quietly arrived in South Florida bingo halls this month with no state regulatory oversight. 'It's called pull-tab or instant bingo and has been equated to paper slot machines.' It has been billed as a way to resuscitate the state's struggling bingo halls and pump more money into charitable organizations, especially veterans groups. A state law took effect July 1 allowing the pull-tabs, which are similar to scratch-off lottery tickets. '...Critics of the new law say it lacks the teeth to ensure the proceeds go to nonprofit organizations as required. No state agency oversees distribution of the instant bingo tickets, which cost no more than a dollar. Bingo halls are required to keep records of instant bingo sales, but no regulatory agency is assigned to check them. "

MORE NEW GAMES FROM UK ONLINE BINGO SITE

MORE NEW GAMES FROM UK ONLINE BINGO SITE:
"In addition to Keno, recently launched by Virgin Bingo, players on the UK online bingo site are now being offered the chance to take part in three more games of chance.

These include £1 scratch cards in the style of those available from the National Lottery, with jackpots of up to £10,000.

A new range of pull-tab games have also been created to complement the UK online bingo site's regular activities.

These come in a variety of themes including The Ol' West, Money Hog and Jungle Safari, according to Virgin Bingo.

'If you are looking for something different that is loads of fun, look no further,' the UK online bingo site adds.

'The new pull tabs are bound to bring hours of fun while playing your favourite uk bingo game.'

Finally, a new 75-ball version of regular bingo has been added to the list of games of chance available for Virgin Bingo players."

The News and Tribune - Charity gaming a boon for area organizations

The News and Tribune - Charity gaming a boon for area organizations:
"Your best bet

Raffles actually offer the best rate of return or lowest overhead costs. For example, organizations throughout Southern Indiana spent a combined $101,000 on raffles in 2006. In exchange for that, they took in about $304,000 in earnings. That adds up to about a 67 percent profit for the organization holding the raffle.
By comparison, festivals make about a 50 percent profit once expenses are subtracted. Game nights make a 28 percent profit and pull tabs make a 17 percent profit.
Organizations running bingo operations — by far the most expensive form of charity gaming — are bringing in some of the lowest profit percentages, even though they’re the ones pulling in the most net cash.
The high overhead cost is typically worth it from an economic standpoint, however. Even though they only have a 7 percent profit, they take in far more in net dollars than other forms of gambling, on average bringing in about $124,000 annually for the organizations sponsoring them. "

Nightwatch: Bird gets an extreme makeover

Nightwatch: Bird gets an extreme makeover:
"Eek. Now he has those fancy sinks that are basically declining granite slabs, so the water rolls away from you and into a small crack in the back. You'll enjoy washing your hands now.
While much has changed, some things have not. That 'Big Buck Hunter' video game? Still there. Pulltabs? You betcha, though the pulltab station goes dark before too late. And there's still a row of dartboards and a bunch of pool tables.
But that's the balancing act that Dive Bar wants to play, Meyer said. By day, the place is your normal bar/restaurant (Matty B's is in charge of the kitchen) with 17 new plasma TVs showing sports. It's at night, after 9 p.m. usually, when Dive Bar really gets going.
The club had its grand reopening last Friday, bringing in Roonie G., a Las Vegas-based DJ who's made a name for himself spinning videos. While a few Twin Cities clubs have video nights, with DJs playing music videos for the crowd to dance to, this guy put on a show, mixing music videos, movie clips and just plain songs. He'd go from playing Unk's 'Walk It Out' over a clip of the dancing penguins in 'Happy Feet,' to battle scenes from '300' mixed with the Shop Boyz' 'Party Like a Rockstar' video. He'd fit perfectly in a big downtown club. "

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner » Archive » Borough panel fine-tuning tax proposals

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner » Archive » Borough panel fine-tuning tax proposals:

"Should pull-tabs be subject to a proposed area-wide sales tax?

Should newspaper subscriptions?

The Fort Knox gold mine?

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly’s finance committee took up these and other questions at a work session Thursday on two proposals to reduce property taxes.
One proposal, pushed by Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker, is for a 2.5 percent sales tax that would jump to 5 percent in the summer. The other, introduced by Assemblymen Luke Hopkins and Tim Beck, is for a combination sales tax and gross receipts tax.
It turns out that rewriting the borough’s tax system isn’t easy.
There are two different proposals and any number of ways to implement either.
Some of the issues discussed Thursday were policy calls, such as how major taxpayers such as Fort Knox and the Flint Hills refinery should be treated under the new system. Hopkins said it was his intention that both be subject to the gross receipts tax."

CJOnline - Kansas Lottery sets sales record

CJOnline - Kansas Lottery sets sales record:
"The Kansas Lottery hit a record for sales in the fiscal year that ended June 30, Lottery officials said Tuesday.
Total sales in the fiscal year were nearly $241 million, an increase of more than 2 percent from the previous year's sales, which also had set a record.

The Lottery will transfer $71 million to the state for fiscal year 2007, the highest transfer in a single year since the Lottery started selling tickets in 1987.
Ed Van Petten, Kansas Lottery executive director, said instant games and pull tabs played an important part in making this a record year."

Postbulletin.com: Travel scene -- Volunteers help some navigate MSP airport - Sat, Jul 21, 2007

Postbulletin.com: Travel scene -- Volunteers help some navigate MSP airport - Sat, Jul 21, 2007:
"MAC helps out
The Metropolitan Airports Commission, which governs the airport, then granted the foundation a small retail space to raise funds to support its outreach programs and services. The retail outlet, sublet to the Minnesota Store with the foundation receiving a share of the profits, is in the North Star Crossing. That sector is one of the most successful airport retail venues in the world.
Another important source of funding came via Minnesota's approval of charitable gambling in 1988. The foundation sells pull tabs at its lottery booth at North Star Crossing, as well as Powerball tickets at both the Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals. The Powerball franchise is the most profitable in the state, with sales exceeding more than $1 million annually. "

Herald Argus

Herald Argus: "EDITOR’S NOTE: Rather than Speak Out, we would suggest you do some investigation on the Internet.

“I see where the Polish Carnival advertised gambling through channel 99 today on the La Porte station. How can they let people gamble when your taverns here in La Porte cannot have gambling? This seems very unfair, not only to me, but to a lot of other people. Why can’t the bars have (unintelligible) boards, (unintelligible) boards and pull tabs if this carnival can have gambling right out in the open? Why isn’t it a felony for them like it is for the bar owners now? Why is it any different just because they are a church group? This just isn’t fair.” "

St. Cloud Times | Opinion

St. Cloud Times Opinion:
"Rep. Larry Haws deserves a big thank you for representing District 15B well. The past year Haws put a lot of time and effort in getting bills passed to help our community and our veterans.
Larry Haws has the edge, the positive attitude, the professionalism, the confidence, the incredible ability and will power to put a bill on the fast track to become law.
Let me mention just one such bill that became law. Haws sponsored a bill to help fraternal organizations pay for expenses such as water, heating, electricity and sewer costs through pull-tab profits. Money made from pull tabs helps relieve poverty, homelessness, disability, treat problem gambling, education, scholarship funds, recognize military service, recreation, snowmobile trails, ATV trails, food shelves, cancer and the list goes on.
Some fraternal organizations have had to close because costs were too high. Now the doors will remain open to carry on this needed work. Thank you, Larry Haws!
Haws represents what we need in St. Paul — 'A little less talk and a whole lot more action,' 'A lot more nice.' ... We need leaders. I think I know who is the leader of the pack — Larry Haws. I like the way he communicates."

The Herald Bulletin - EDITORIAL: Know this: Cherry master games are illegal

The Herald Bulletin - EDITORIAL: Know this: Cherry master games are illegal:
"We don’t have much sympathy for bar owners who are complaining about increased enforcement to shut down their illegal gambling devices, called cherry masters. On July 1, the state passed a new law to increase enforcement by adding 16 extra state excise police officers to go after the machines.

During the same legislative session, however, the General Assembly approved the use of slot machines at Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs. Bar owners are crying foul, but what part of “illegal” don’t they understand?
In a meeting in Anderson on June 21, Brenda Scott, primary enforcement officer for the Madison County branch of the state excise police, told local bar owners, “Keep in mind, those dailies, weeklies, monthlies, pull-tabs have always been illegal. No one should have been doing that.”"

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"No 'Wanted' poster
Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of Indiana Licensed Beverage Association, said some bar and restaurant owners would face a serious adjustment to the new enforcement effort by the gaming commission and other efforts by excise police enforcing alcohol and tobacco regulations.
'We are entering a whole new world here,' said Klopfenstein, who said the new gaming police were not unlike Elliott Ness and the 'Untouchables,' special U.S. Treasury agents who enforced federal prohibition laws during the 1930s.
Yelton responded, 'I can assure you we have no 'Wanted' poster here,'
The gaming commission is still working on a policy to enforce gaming laws, and Yelton said there were no plans to target eastern Indiana, even though the region was the headquarters for former Teamsters boss John Neal's video gambling empire.
Neal was arrested last year on video gambling and money laundering charges, just two years after getting out of prison after serving time on charges of operating illegal gambling business, conspiracy to defraud the IRS and money laundering. Neal remains in the Ashland, Ky. federal prison on a probation violation from his previous conviction.
Yelton estimated there could be as many as 5,000 to 40,000 Cherry Masters or other video gaming machines throughout the state, still found in truck stops, tobacco stores, bars and other retail establishments."

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"Regular players
A handful of poker players were standing outside Royal Crown Wednesday night, talking about the club closing as dealers planned some big dealouts on the final night.
'This is a club and it should be left as a club,' said Joe Ramos, a former dealer and player.
Ramos said Texas Hold'em offered entertainment for many people, with as many as 100 people a night playing at the downtown club.
'I guess I could go to a bar, get drunk and then get pulled over,' he said.
Ryan Clements, who runs the club, said the closing would be like losing family given the number of regular players.
'We have never had any problems,' Clements said.
The closing puts 15 people out of work and shutters a downtown storefront. Koger said she was still looking at how the club might be turned over to a charity.
Rep. Dennis Tyler, D-Muncie, voted for HB 1510, and said he did not know the bill would put Texas Hold'em clubs out of business. Tyler also has been criticized by some bar and restaurant owners for approving slot machines at horse tracks, including nearby Hoosier Park, while outlawing other gaming in other establishments.
'We did that to have property tax relief,' Tyler said, referring to how money from slots would fund property tax rebate checks to homeowners.
Tyler had a bill to legalize drawings, polls and pull tabs in bars, but that legislation never got in the final bill. He will renew those efforts during the short session."

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"MUNCIE -- Cherry Masters, electronic slot machines, will be the target of Indiana's new gaming police, and Texas Hold'em clubs like Royal Crown in downtown Muncie will close after midnight with a new crackdown on illegal gambling.
'The state has declared us a game of chance,' said Linda Koger, who owns Muncie Liquors and is a partner in the downtown poker club. 'We are being forced to close our doors.'
The option, Koger said, would be possibly facing a class C felony charge for promoting professional gambling.
During its last session, the Legislature approved House Bill 1510, which included new penalties for possessing electronic gaming devices like Cherry Masters and promoting illegal gaming like drawings, pull tabs and sports pools.
That law also redefined gambling as risking money or other property for gain, contingent in whole or in part, upon chance, and only permits charitable gaming. And it gave the gaming commission authority to enforce that law.
'We always contended that the law made them illegal,' Ernest Yelton, executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, said about Texas Hold-em clubs."

Union Leader - Robert Philbrick: Milford arrests show hypocrisy of NH gambling laws - Monday, Jul. 9, 2007

Union Leader - Robert Philbrick: Milford arrests show hypocrisy of NH gambling laws - Monday, Jul. 9, 2007:
"Thank goodness we don't have to worry about Doug Bianchi and Artie Gagnon preying upon hapless gambling addicts any longer. Their reign of lawlessness and illicit activities is finally at an end. After all, as Mr. Metcalf warns, '. . . gambling is not a victimless crime, because addicts don't just hurt themselves', and '. . . instead of supporting their families, they are playing video poker or engaging in other forms of illegal gambling.'
Of course, they could, instead, participate in the legal, 'good gambling' sanctioned by the state of New Hampshire, in the form of Powerball, Megabucks, myriad scratch ticket games, etc., at the convenience store not 50 paces from the 'bad gambling' video games the same state agents tell us are illegal, immoral and harmful to families.
In the room next to the den of iniquity at the Harley-Sanford VFW post, you can spend your paycheck on 50-cent 'pull-tabs,' another legalized gambling game the state of New Hampshire happily takes its cut from."

Herald Argus

Herald Argus:
"‘Taxation and regulation’
While State Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, voted against the gambling bill earlier this spring, State Rep. Tom Dermody, R-La Porte, supported it based on the fact that it continued to allow non-profit groups like veterans organizations to sell tip boards and pull-tabs.
Still, Dermody said he’s disheartened that the legislation could put bar owners out of business, and vowed to fight to amend the law.
“You hate to see business shut down, especially when you make it legal for one group and not for the other. We stopped halfway,” he said. “We’ll come back and fight another day.”
That fight will likely center on what Pelath refers to as “taxation and regulation,” which would legalize tip boards and pull tabs by taxing them at the state level.
“We have riverboats and horse tracks and then we’re going to take it out on taverns and that doesn’t seem the route to go,” said Pelath.
“Owning a tavern is an extremely tough business,” he said. “They are operating at small profit margins.”
Many tavern owners said that to scrape by until the law is hopefully amended, they will likely have to reduce spending and raise prices.
For now, however, all they can do is swallow the bitter pill the state has served them.
“The state isn’t doing anything for us,” said Ted Fouth, president of the La Porte, Porter and Starke County Tavern Association. “It’s getting tighter and tighter. We can’t even breathe.”"

Herald Argus

Herald Argus:
"‘A fair shake’
Still, Fritzen said he generated anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 annually from tip boards and other games -- the kind of revenue that many tavern owners can’t afford to lose.
“We’re not happy. It’s really biting into our livelihood,” said Gene Samuelson, who with his wife Barbara owns Hilltop Bar in La Porte.
“We deserve a fair shake,” he said.
“You have to have entertainment gaming to pay your bills. It’s that crucial for a lot of businesses,” said Larry Rose of Western Inn in La Porte.
While Rose said he could recoup some of the lost profits from illegal gambling by becoming a licensed Indiana Lottery merchant, he said he could never make up the difference completely because gamblers are less likely to play the lottery because the odds of winning aren’t as good as with pull tabs and tip boards.
It’s always been understood, Fritzen said, that tavern gambling games, while a much-needed source of income for some, hold more entertainment value than anything else.
“Which one of these bar owners is making millions and retiring? None of them,” he said.
While tavern owners argue that much of the profits reaped at casino riverboats are sent back to Las Vegas, tip board and pull tab money, they say, gets recycled back into the local economy."

Herald Argus

Herald Argus:
"New gambling law could put some taverns out of business
LA PORTE -- Before selling I Street Family Tavern to Chris Fritzen, former owner Les Strickland told him to never rely too heavily on profits from tip boards, pull-tabs and other forms of illegal gambling to operate the business.
It was some of the best advice Fritzen ever received, as a recent law cracking down on illegal gambling in taverns across the state has already threatened to put some local tavern owners out on the street -- and will soon close at least three cigar stores/pipe shops.
“If I (just sold) liquor and beer, I would be in a world of hurt,” Fritzen said. Fortunately, he also makes a decent profit from food sales at I Street.
Whereas the state formerly turned a blind eye to illegal gambling in bars so long as no one complained, bar owners now fear that under the new law, which took effect Sunday, enforcement will become stricter.
According to the law, tavern owners convicted twice of a gambling offense could be charged with a felony and could also lose their liquor license.
“That’s pretty much the death penalty. It means you’re out of business,” said Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association.
While gambling games have always been illegal to operate at bars, Klopfenstein insists they’ve never been huge cash generators.
“They are nothing but traffic builders. It’s designed to keep people in your establishment and have people spend a little more money,” he insisted."

St. Cloud Times | Opinion

St. Cloud Times Opinion:
"Rep. Larry Haws deserves a big thank you for representing District 15B well. The past year Haws put a lot of time and effort in getting bills passed to help our community and our veterans.
Larry Haws has the edge, the positive attitude, the professionalism, the confidence, the incredible ability and will power to put a bill on the fast track to become law.
Let me mention just one such bill that became law. Haws sponsored a bill to help fraternal organizations pay for expenses such as water, heating, electricity and sewer costs through pull-tab profits. Money made from pull tabs helps relieve poverty, homelessness, disability, treat problem gambling, education, scholarship funds, recognize military service, recreation, snowmobile trails, ATV trails, food shelves, cancer and the list goes on.
Some fraternal organizations have had to close because costs were too high. Now the doors will remain open to carry on this needed work. Thank you, Larry Haws!
Haws represents what we need in St. Paul — 'A little less talk and a whole lot more action,' 'A lot more nice.' ... We need leaders. I think I know who is the leader of the pack — Larry Haws. I like the way he communicates."

PineandLakes.com: Jenkins council position filled 07/11/07

PineandLakes.com: Jenkins council position filled 07/11/07:

"Pull-tab sales approved
The council approved a Patriot Athletic Club (PAC) request to allow the group to sell pull-tabs at local establishments. At the June city council meeting, Brett Dale from PAC introduced the request to the council saying the group plans to sell pull-tabs at Underdogs Bar and Grill along with the Pequot Lakes Youth Hockey Associaiton (PLYHA).
According to a letter to the city written by John Engstrom on behalf of the PLYHA, Underdogs is not a big enough seller to support both clubs.
'The Hockey Association also feels that PAC has unjustly barged in,' Engstrom continues in the letter. 'We have been doing charitable gambling out of Underdogs for two-plus years. PAC received their license and have now gone after two of our sites.'
Engstrom says both groups are trying to keep costs down for youth sports and acknowledges that the establishment owner ultimately makes the decision about which groups to allow. However, Engstrom feels the profit margin at Underdogs is not large enough to benefit either club."

Google Image Result for http://www.pull-tabs.com/images/index-350x260.jpg

Google Image Result for http://www.pull-tabs.com/images/index-350x260.jpg

State lottery seeks revenue boost from TV show, multistate game - FOX23 News

State lottery seeks revenue boost from TV show, multistate game - FOX23 News:

"The Hot Lotto game has the same format as Powerball, which is already offered in Oklahoma, and has had an average jackpot of $4.5 million over the past year, Scroggins said.

'Hot Lotto is a game that looks and plays almost exactly like Powerball - it's just better odds and lower prizes,' Scroggins said.

Scroggins hopes the additions will help generate excitement for the lottery, which is projected to finish the fiscal year with $214.7 million in gaming revenues - far short of initial projections. Scroggins blamed the shortfall on competition from tribal casinos and horse racing tracks, the need for additional gaming options and illegal gambling.

Lottery revenues could be helped by also adding video poker, keno or pull-tabs, Scroggins said. "

Batesville Herald Tribune, Batesville, Indiana - Fourth of July activities

Batesville Herald Tribune, Batesville, Indiana - Fourth of July activities:

"Adult games include a raffle with four $100 cash prizes, Texas poker and pull tabs. "

More Fourth fun

More Fourth fun:
"Coon Rapids celebrates today through Wednesday with carnival rides, free concerts, pull tabs and bingo, food and beverages and fireworks at 10 p.m. Wednesday at Sand Creek Park, 1008 Northdale Blvd. (763-767-6565, ext. 601). "

PineandLakes.com: Jenkins says Pequot Tool may expand 06/13/07

PineandLakes.com: Jenkins says Pequot Tool may expand 06/13/07:
"Council hears charitable gambling request
The Patriots Athletic Club is seeking a gambling premises permit to sell pull-tabs at Underdogs Bar and Grill along with the youth hockey organization. Brett Dale says the group already has a lease and requested the Council put the needed resolution on the July 2 meeting agenda. The club already is selling pull-tabs at PestelloUs and will be starting sales at Manhattan Beach Lodge this summer."

Police arrest 3 people in pea-shake gambling raid | IndyStar.com

Police arrest 3 people in pea-shake gambling raid IndyStar.com:
"Indianapolis metropolitan police arrested three people in a Near-Northside gambling raid Wednesday.

It was the second time in over a month that the pea-shake house in 1500 block of Columbia Avenue has been raided. Four people who were at the house Wednesday had been present during the previous raid.
Michelle Tunstall, 46; Frank W. Long, 54; and Michael W. Patterson, 52, all of Indianapolis, were arrested on charges of promoting professional gambling. Nine other people were cited for visiting a common nuisance.
Police said pull tabs and baseball pool tickets were being sold at the house, the same items that were being sold during an April 12 raid.
Vice officers said that when they arrived about 10:30 a.m. to serve the search warrant, Long was acting as a lookout, using a two-way radio to warn the people inside. Long and Tunstall face additional preliminary charges of obstruction of justice for using the radios. Several radios were seized in the raid, along with $2,000 in cash."

Gambling and taxes dominate town meeting | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

Gambling and taxes dominate town meeting The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN: "MUNCIE -- Huge property-tax increases and a crackdown on illegal gaming like drawings and pull tabs in local taverns dominated discussion during a legislative town hall on Wednesday.
'Is that a possibility that taxes will raise that high?' retired auto worker Mike Burns asked about recent reports of skyrocketing property tax bills."

State-Journal.com

State-Journal.com:
"Because of declining attendance at bingo games, more Franklin County charities are hosting Texas Hold'em poker fundraisers.
Dave Cobb is organizing a Texas Hold'em fundraiser for the American Legion Post 7 this weekend. The Legion will use the money to purchase care packages for soldiers overseas and to support veterans and their families.
'Bingos have normally been a large source of revenue, but they are not doing as well as they have been,' Cobb told The State Journal. 'Texas Hold'em is a hot item, they are playing it all over the place, and I thought we should give it a shot ourselves.'
The poker tournament will be 9 p.m. Saturday at the Legion post on Versailles Road. A $75 buy-in gives players $2,000 in chips and they can purchase additional chips for $30 per rebuy. The first place prize is $5,000, but will be adjusted if less than 150 players attend.
Cobb said a number of factors have contributed to a decline in bingo profits, including high gas prices and the smoking ban which went into effect last year. With high gas prices, people have less money to spend on entertainment, Cobb said. Many players have also left because they can't smoke any more during games, he said."

Gambling crackdown coming | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

Gambling crackdown coming The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:

"We won't approve a license until the (gambling-related) fine is paid,' said Clevenger, who is joined on the ABB by John Sutters and James Lutton.
The excise police crackdown on drawings, sports pools and pull tabs in bars and restaurants comes in the wake of last year's arrest of Delaware County resident John Neal on video gambling and money laundering charges. That investigation led to the shutdown of bars -- in Delaware, Madison and Henry counties -- with ties to Neal and his video gaming empire.
The ABB oversees alcohol sales in nearly 1,000 bars, clubs, restaurants, groceries, drug stores, convenience stores and other retailers. Muncie has 56 restaurant and bar permits, over the city's quota of 45.
Clevenger said a new retailer, Gas America, recently applied to sell warm beer and wine, also noting that some bars connected to Neal remained closed."

The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:
"WASILLA - When Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker's Main Event in 2003, he set off a tidal wave of poker popularity in the United States that has yet to crest.

Today, poker has become a nationwide phenomenon, with high-profile professional players competing with amateurs for billions of dollars in prize money annually. The most popular form of the game - no limit Texas Hold 'Em - is widely televised and played by millions of players in live games and online on a daily basis.

Poker in Alaska occupies a gray area of legality. Gambling for money in the state is technically illegal, although authorities typically turn a blind eye to casual “home” games played between friends.

But players who want live action on a regular basis are often out of luck. Underground, for-profit - or “raked” - poker rooms in the state operate outside the law, but raids on such games are rare.
That changed in the Valley on April 14, when members of the Alaska State Troopers' Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement, along with Palmer and Wasilla police, conducted a high-profile bust on a Wasilla building that led to the arrest - and subsequent felony charges - against five area residents. Warrants were also served on six private residences in Anchorage and the Valley."

Journal Gazette | 04/25/2007 | Legislators consider pull-tabs for taverns

Journal Gazette 04/25/2007 Legislators consider pull-tabs for taverns:

"INDIANAPOLIS – An attempt to crack down on illegal gambling could include a measure to allow bars and taverns to offer paper pull-tab games.
The discussion occurred Tuesday during the first public negotiation on a charity gaming bill that also seeks to limit Cherry Master machines.
There was little comment about the original core of the House Bill 1510, which updates provisions for the Indiana Gaming Commission on various charitable gaming issues.
But committee members considered allowing bars and taverns that initially sought authority to operate electronic gaming devices to instead have paper pull-tabs, a game similar to one offered by the Hoosier Lottery and something already allowed in charitable fraternal organizations or clubs.
Pull-tab distributors describe them as small paper games of chance used for profit-making or fundraising. The front side of the pull-tab shows winning combinations of symbols and prizes a player can win. The back side of the pull tab has windows to open. If the symbols underneath the pull-tab windows match the winning combinations on the front of the pull tab, the player wins.
Testimony indicated that pull-tab tickets would cost $1 each. The low-stakes game pays back about 70 percent of the money, with 30 percent of the revenue retained by the owner or group running the game."

Gambling compromise sought

Gambling compromise sought:
"INDIANAPOLIS -- State lawmakers seeking a compromise on legislation to crack down on illegal gambling are considering whether to let bars and restaurants sell low-wager paper gambling cards, as nonprofit clubs are allowed to do.
The pull-tabs -- small paper games of chance, typically sold for $1 each -- are common in bars and taverns. Although the cards are illegal, the law rarely is enforced. But bars risk fines, criminal charges or loss of their liquor licenses if caught selling them.


That risk could become greater under House Bill 1510, which is designed to clamp down on illegal gambling, in part by adding 25 excise officers and a special prosecutor to pursue the cases.
Yesterday, Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association, urged the conference committee looking for a compromise to consider letting bars and restaurants that sell alcohol have some small form of legal gambling. "

Alaska Star - Your Community Newspaper: Eklutna submits for Indian gaming permit 04/12/07

Alaska Star - Your Community Newspaper: Eklutna submits for Indian gaming permit 04/12/07:
"The NIGC's primary mission is to regulate gaming activities on Indian lands for the purpose of shielding Indian tribes from organized crime and other corrupting influences and to ensure that Indian tribes are the primary beneficiaries of gaming revenue.

According to Pensoneau, in passing the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, Congress included the definition of Class II and Class III gaming.

Class II gaming includes bingo, pull tabs, lotto, punch boards and non-house banked card games authorized or not explicitly prohibited by the state in which the tribal operation is located.
“The gambling that most people think of is Class III gaming,” Pensoneau said. “Vegas-style games like blackjack, craps and roulette.”"

Entertainment galore at the Bingo Plex

Entertainment galore at the Bingo Plex:
"Bingo Plex has a choice of two bingo halls, a 75 ball, and the newly introduced 90 ball, which is steadily increasing in popularity. Each hall has its own progressive bingo jackpot. At the time of writing this, the progressive JP in the 75 ball hall stands at an amazing $8,384.69 and climbing! Who wouldn’t say no to a chance of winning that? The progressive jackpots always re-start at $1000 minimum, so even if you don’t hit the current big one, the next JP starts climbing very quickly.

As well as the great game of bingo, and the exciting chat games, there are also slots games to play, incorporating 3, 4, and 5 reels, as well as the very popular Bank Heist, which currently has a progressive JP of $21,210.01. With Keno, Pull Tabs, Video Poker, and Black Jack, what more could you wish for your online entertainment! www.bingoplex.com"

Tax to be lowered on bingo parlors | KXNet.com North Dakota News

Tax to be lowered on bingo parlors KXNet.com North Dakota News:
"Since then, charities have been hurt.


(Sen. Bill Bowman / (R) Bowman) 'I did see an email that said 58 towns are going to benefit from this. The only thing that I was disappointed in is how how many towns would've benefited if included pull tabs, if you want to treat charities, treat them all the same.'

The bill saves the bingo industry one point two million dollars a biennium."

KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | When is poker illegal?

KTUU.com Alaska's news and information source When is poker illegal?:

"Bingo and pull tabs are the two types of gaming in the state where someone can actually profit; so, much of the state's efforts on controlling gaming are spent watching these establishments."

Village asks for license to gamble - South Sound - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

Village asks for license to gamble - South Sound - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington: "Village asks for license to gamble

Elizabeth Bluemink
Anchorage Daily News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Native village of Eklutna applied this week for federal permission to operate a gambling center on tribal land about 20 miles from Anchorage.
The village asked the National Indian Gaming Commission for Class II gaming authorization, which allows bingo, pull tabs or an electronic version of those games.
The village said in a written statement Friday that its proposed gaming center could be positive for the local economy, creating new jobs and enhancing tourism.
'We were told this would not be a full-on casino-type operation,' said city attorney Jim Reeves.
Anchorage and state officials said they are watching the village request closely. The Washington, D.C.-based commission must rule on it within 90 days.
Not casino friendly
In the past, Alaska has fought off attempts to establish casinos or high-stakes pull-tab games on tribal land here.
The only gambling allowed in Alaska is for nonprofit purposes, though even nonprofit gambling here is a big business, with spending exceeding $349 million in 2005, according to state reports.
Under Alaska law, any kind of casino is illegal, including charitable or American Indian-owned.
A key factor in getting federal approval for non-casino Class II gambling is determining whether Eklutna's tribal land can even be used for gambling.
The village, which filed Tuesday, asked federal regulators to decide whether the 8-acre plot on which they hope to build a gaming center - a family-owned American Indian allotment near the Birchwood Airport - meets the definition of tribal land."

Cutting through red tape (April 8, 2007)

Cutting through red tape (April 8, 2007):
Cutting through red tape
Several hurdles must be cleared before an Indian-owned casino can be built:
1) Federal recognition. The right to build a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 applies only to federally recognized tribes.
2) Federally recognized tribes must acquire what the federal government defines as ''Indian lands.”
3) Indian land must be taken into trust by the federal government at the request of tribal applicants. That process is overseen by the Department of Interior and requires the tribal applicant to submit a detailed plan describing how the tribe plans to use the land.
A Government Accountability Office study last year found the Department of Interior takes an average of a year or more to process land-into-trust applications. In one case, it took the federal agency 19 years to process an application, the study found.
As of September 2005, there were 28 off-reservation applications waiting an average of 1.4 years to be processed. There were also 34 appeals filed, taking an average of three years before a decision was rendered."

The Independent - Marshall, MN

The Independent - Marshall, MN:
"“We sell a lot of pull tabs,” Sodemann said. “A lot of people who gamble also smoke. Is our pull tab business going to go down?”

The community of Marshall will lose if the pull tab revenues decline, Sodemann said.

Pull tabs have generated tens of thousands of dollars for the Legion ball park, for flag poles and other community investments, Sodemann said.

The owners or managers at all four bars said they expect a statewide ban to pass. The only questions are when it will take effect and if smoking rooms would be allowed as well as patios."

Wisconsin lawmakers hear 'State of the Tribes' address

by: Abbey Thompson / Indian Country Today
© Indian Country Today March 12, 2007. All Rights Reserved

MADISON, Wis. - In what was a Native woman's strong call for cooperative action between tribal and state legislators, Patricia DePerry, chairman of the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe in Wisconsin, delivered the 3rd Annual ''State of the Tribes'' address before lawmakers at the Wisconsin State Assembly regular session on March 1. The annual event was held by invitation of Assembly Speaker Michael Huebsch. DePerry spoke on behalf of the 11 tribes in Wisconsin. A drum ceremony and a Veteran's color guard procession kicked off the forum. Eagle staffs mingled with flags, as elected officials and representatives of the tribal nations of Wisconsin (Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Stockbridge-Munsee, Menominee and Ho-Chunk) met in the state Capitol's assembly chamber. Leon ''Boycee'' Valliere, Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe, gave the opening prayer - an invocation delivered in both Anishinabe (Ojibwe) and English. DePerry's speech covered issues facing the tribes, including gaming, sovereignty, racism and underfunded health, education and welfare programs. The outspoken tribal leader urged state lawmakers to uphold tribal sovereignty, ''a decree ordered by the United States government when treaties were signed.'' According to DePerry, ''It's not up for negotiation; it is not up for discussion. It is the law.'' She said tribes today have much to be hopeful about but many problems still exist, including poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse. ''We want for our tribes what the state wants for 'theirs': better health, better education; we want it all.'' DePerry shared childhood memories, being the oldest of nine children born to alcoholic parents. She attended a Catholic school where she was physically abused until she ''stood up'' to her nun schoolteacher and demanded an end to the abuse in seventh grade. ''The moral to this story is we need to be protectors of each other, of those that cannot, for whatever reason, stand up for themselves,'' she said. This sentiment perhaps is a reflection of the current situation in Wisconsin among tribes vying for off-reservation casinos. Most tribes have on-reservation casinos; yet, due to varying geographic locations, there are only three large, profit-making casinos - those owned by the Ho-Chunk, Oneida and Potawatomi. Rural tribes in northern Wisconsin continue to battle the state and other tribes for off-reservation casino approval. ''That is tearing us apart,'' she said. ''Some of us have made it in gaming and some of us haven't.'' She used her home as an example. ''Red Cliff hasn't made it. We sit on the northernmost tip of Wisconsin. Apostle Island country, that's up north. We have problems up there, big-time problems.'' She also discussed the importance of lawmakers being more educated on the topic of treaty rights, which has been one of the top issues concerning Wisconsin tribes since the Voigt Decision of 1983, upholding the rights of the state's Chippewa tribes to hunt, fish and gather off-reservation. DePerry, also recently chosen as the first woman to serve as chair of Wisconsin's Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, was critical of the state DNR. She told members of the Assembly that conflicts between DNR game wardens and tribal members stem from misunderstandings of tribal sovereignty. In closing, she asked for continuing cooperation between the tribes and the state, ''whatever color we may be.''

Please visit the Indian Country Today website for more articles related to this topic.

Columbian.com - Serving Clark County, Washington

Columbian.com - Serving Clark County, Washington:

"Gambling interests play off each other in endless bid for more, more, more
The old game of legal-gambling leapfrog in Washington state is in full swing, with those in power expanding gambling while saying they don't like to see gambling expanded.
The next big boost to gambling in this state is likely to come in a March 9 meeting of the state Gambling Commission (wsgc.wa.gov), whose ex-officio members include Rep. Richard Curtis, R-La Center. It'd be refreshing to see the commission bring at least a temporary halt to the game then and there.
Legal-gambling leapfrog is many years old in Washington and has several major players, including: La Center-style mini-casinos and recreational cardrooms; tribal casinos; bingo parlors; the state Lottery; race tracks, punchcards and pulltabs. "

· IN-FORUM ·

· IN-FORUM ·:
"The region is a particularly ripe one for charity gaming. The National Association of Fund-Raising Ticket Manufacturers’ most recent annual report shows Minnesota led the nation in charitable betting in 2005 with $1.3 billion wagered. North Dakota’s $268.5 million ranked 10th.
North Dakota is also the only state that offers charitable blackjack, said Karen Breiner, president of the Charitable Gaming Association of North Dakota."

Winona Daily News - 6.0

Winona Daily News - 6.0:
"Charitable gambling revenues are estimated to drop by 25 percent. Most of these are produced by taverns selling pull tabs. This will hurt the many good causes that benefit from gambling."

Pine Bluff Commercial Online Edition

Pine Bluff Commercial Online Edition:
"When asked if bingo was the only game, McQueen said 'pull tabs' on which a player pays 25 cents per tab and scratches off to reveal a mystery number is available at the Southwest Drive location.

'My understanding is that falls under the definition of a raffle,' he said. 'If they tell us to stop, then we will.'"

Pull-tab profits may be yanked

A dispute between a local pull-tab operator and a property owner could end up costing a handful of Fairbanks nonprofit, labor and service organizations tens of thousands of dollars in potential revenue.
Emerald Isle Pull-Tabs, which up until last summer operated pull-tab games at a location on the Old Steese Highway for at least five Fairbanks organizations including the Alaska Dog Mushers Association, the UAF Tip Off Club and the Tanana Valley State Fair Association, is involved in a rent dispute with the owner of the Old Steese building, Qwik Three Inc.
Last summer, officials from Qwik Three locked the building, taking possession of all the contents, including the pull-tabs.
Pull-tabs are one of the few forms of gambling allowed in Alaska. State law mandates strict regulations surrounding the games. The pull-tabs themselves are the property of nonprofit organizations. Pull-tab parlors, like Emerald Isle, operate the games on behalf of the nonprofits. The two then split the profits from the games.
With the pull-tabs locked up, however, there haven’t been any profits from them for more than six months. The Alaska Outdoor Council, for example, would have received about $20,000 from its pull-tabs in Emerald Isle’s parlor during that time.
“It’s certainly cutting into our fundraising,” said Rod Arno, the nonprofit council’s executive director. “Actually a fair amount.”
Arno said in any given year the Outdoor Council can pull in $50,000 from pull-tab games at various parlors.
“It’s easily a fourth to a third of our funding,” he said.
Alaska Outdoor Council is one of 11 Fairbanks nonprofits involved in a lawsuit against Qwik Three Inc., in an attempt to get their pull-tabs back. All of the 11 nonprofits use Emerald Isle to coordinate their games, but not all of them had pull-tabs at the Old Steese Location, a fact that is complicating the suit, which Arno described as “a slow-moving mess.” Emerald Isle has three other locations besides the Old Steese parlor. All 11 nonprofits were included in the suit because there was some question in the mind of officials at Qwik Three as to which Emerald Isle clients had games at the Old Steese location.
Other organizations didn’t have quite so much money tied up in Emerald Isle’s operation but are still looking at a loss of revenue. According to documents filed in court, the Laborer’s Local 942 usually earns several thousand dollars each month from its pull-tab games. The money from the games is largely used for the union’s scholarship fund.
The Alaska Dog Mushers Association had $13,799 worth of pull-tabs in the parlor.
“That’s 10 percent of our budget,” club president Shannon Erhart said. “It could have helped us with our racing season.”
Hollis Hall, the acting general manager of the Tanana Valley State Fair Association, said his organization is out about $2,000 because of the dispute.
David Lambert, the owner of Emerald Isle, stated in an affidavit that there was $115,399 worth of pull-tabs in the building when it was locked.
With the nonprofits already facing tight budgets, the dip in revenue is hurting some services.
“We use that money for education,” Arno said. “We use that money to inform our membership, which is about 12,000 statewide, of state and federal (outdoors) regulations.”
The Alaska Outdoor Council usually publishes four newsletters each year, Arno said. This year, because the pull-tabs weren’t sold, the group will only have enough money to put out three.
The Interior Horse Council, member Leigh Carlson said, uses the revenues from its pull-tab game to build facilities at the Tanana Valley Fair Ground and for educational programs. The group is trying to find ways to work around the funding hiccup caused by the pull-tab dispute.
“We still have revenue; we’re doing other fund raisers, we’re still trying to continue on,” she said. “Luckily, we didn’t have that much tied up to (the pull-tabs).”
Jason Crawford, the attorney representing Qwik Three, said the parties are close to working out a way to distribute the games back to the nonprofits.
“One of the main things is we want them to get back to the rightful holder, the permit holders,” Crawford said.
Qwik Three recently got a list of the permit numbers associated with the various games in their possession, Crawford said, and was checking those numbers against the games they have so they can get the right games to the right nonprofits.
Even if the pull-tabs are returned to the nonprofits, the groups may not be able to make any money off of them. Pull-tabs are usually dated, and the older the pull-tabs, the harder to sell them, Erhart said. There are also rumors that some of the pull-tabs may have been stolen since the building was closed. A police report from last August said someone broke into the building and took an Automatic Teller Machine and possibly some pull-tabs as well.
“There’s a whole room full of pull-tabs, so it’s hard to know if a few of them might be missing,” Crawford said.
It’s going to be difficult for anyone who might have stolen pull-tabs to cash them out, but even so, Erhart said, no one is going to want to buy any of the remaining pull-tabs.
“They’re basically tainted at this point,” she said.
As far as Arno is concerned, he just wants to get his games back, even though he’s pretty sure he won’t be able to use them to raise any funds for his organization.
“The quicker the settlement on it the better,” he said, “so we can consider our loses and we can try again.”
http://newsminer.com/2007/02/27/5553/
Contact staff writer Robinson Duffy at 459-7523 or rduffy@newsminer.com.

Business Spotlight: Tapped Out and Tipped Out in Kitsap

Laws more clearly divided taverns and restaurants so they did not directly compete with each other. Patterson remembers the days when a bar served beer and a restaurant made its money on mixed hard liquor drinks. A bar served boiled eggs, pickled eggs, peanuts and pretzels and to be a restaurant you had to offer five different entrees throughout the day.
In the past 10 years, though, bars have applied for more on-site beer, wine and liquor licenses to compete with restaurants — in part for higher profits, in part to attract a different crowd.
But paying the additional taxes for restaurant-classified liquor licenses, as well as permits for pool tables, shuffleboards, and fees to the recording industry for jukebox songs, has pushed small bars to their limits, Patterson said.
"If you’re a franchise, it’s a whole different world," he said. "We decided we couldn’t run it any more because we didn’t have enough young blood to keep it going."
"[Drinking establishments] are shifting," Fischer said. "We’re getting a lot of movement into the county area [and] Silverdale."
The rise of casinos also has a role in changing drinking habits. At the Chips Casino, Ponderay Cafe & Lounge and Bremerton Lanes in Bremerton and the All Star Casino in Silverdale, people can not only drink, but they can play machines, roulette or craps at the same time.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/bsun/business/article/0,2403,BSUN_19063_5379176,00.html

Harmless fun or illegal blights? | IndyStar.com

Harmless fun or illegal blights? IndyStar.com:

" The games: Many Hoosier Lottery games are patterned after games that have been played in pea-shake houses for years, such as selecting winning combinations of three or four numbers, pull tabs and tickets. People pay 2 cents and up to play, and a winner can collect several thousand dollars."

Carlsbad Current-Argus - Little Argus

Carlsbad Current-Argus - Little Argus:

"CARLSBAD — Knights of Columbus will hold appreciation bingo at 7 p.m. today (Feb. 23) at the San Jose Bingo Hall. Master Packs are $5 and extras are $2.50. Guarantee bingo payout for the night is $3,000. Total possible payout for the entire evening is $10,000.00, includes bingo and pull-tabs. Appreciation bingo is held on the second and last Friday of each month. "

North Dakota: Struggle to balance the budget?

North Dakota: Struggle to balance the budget?:
Lawmakers have also approved tax cuts, exemptions and other breaks that would reduce state general fund revenue collections by $201 million over two years, including a sales tax exemption for heating fuels, an income tax cut for married couples, tax reductions for pull tabs and bingo cards, and an overhaul of state oil taxes."

Washington in brief : ICT [2007/02/16]

Washington in brief : ICT [2007/02/16]:
Gaming commission pulls plug on Class II Regulations

The National Indian Gaming Commission announced Feb. 9 that controversial new regulations on Class II gaming, announced last year, will be withdrawn.

At the prodding of the Justice Department, the regulations sought to redefine the line between Class II games, such as bingo and pull-tabs, and Class III slot machines. The commission contended that technological advances in gaming machines have blurred the line.

Tribes have responded that the commission's plans to slow down the pace of Class II action would decrease the revenue stream from Class II machines, in part by reducing the number of plays per machine and in part by driving clients to more entertaining venues. A study commissioned by NIGC substantially seconded tribal fears of economic setbacks under the proposed new regulations.

''We remain committed to bringing consideration of these important issues to an early conclusion,'' said NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen in a statement on the NIGC Web site, ''but as it is likely that our finished product would depart in several areas from that published in the Federal Register in 2006, we are withdrawing those earlier proposals. We are busily working on revisions. If and when we finish those ... new drafts would be published as proposed regulations and further comment would be solicited before they are finalized.'' "

St. Paul Pioneer Press | 02/14/2007 | Popular Burnsville sports bar closes

St. Paul Pioneer Press 02/14/2007 Popular Burnsville sports bar closes:
"The loss of the restaurant is having a ripple effect throughout the city. Youth athletes from Burnsville Hockey Club, who raised funds by selling pull-tabs there, are looking for new fundraising options at other businesses, said club president Dan Schroeder.
'Benchwarmer Bob's was a significant partner of the hockey club for 13 years,' he said. 'It will have an impact. '
It's too early to tell how badly the closing will hurt the club, Schroeder said. He wouldn't say how much the club raised annually at the restaurant, except that it was the 'primary spot' for fundraising. The group sells pull-tabs at two other locations."

POST-TRIBUNE :: News :: Betting on bingo

POST-TRIBUNE :: News :: Betting on bingo:

"The State Gaming Commission, which also oversees casinos, took oversight of charitable gaming from the Department of Revenue under state law passed in 2006.
By The Numbers
• $44.7M, What the not-for-profits grossed in Lake and Porter counties in 2006
• $980,018, What the not-for-profits donated to charities in 2006
• $5.8M, Lake County net proceeds for licensed bingo halls in 2006
• $805,707, Porter County net proceeds for licensed bingo halls in 2006

The commission is working to set financial standards for the American Legion posts, churches, VFW posts and other not-for-profits that host many of the regular bingo games and pull tab licenses.
In the meantime, the not-for-profits grossed more than $44.7 million in Lake and Porter counties last year, according to state records. They donated to charity a total of $980,018, about 2 percent of the gross."

Snohomish County Business Journal

Snohomish County Business Journal:
"There’s a certain rhythm to bowling that’s almost hypnotic: The thud of the ball as it makes contact with the hard surface of the lane. The accelerating hum as it speeds its way toward the pins. The resulting crash as the ball makes contact. The swoosh of the machinery as the pins are reset and it all begins again.

Apparently, I’m not the only one entranced by the game, as more than 53 million Americans participated in 2004 alone, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. That’s more than the number of folks who played outdoor soccer (14.6 million), softball (14.3 million) and table tennis (14.3 million) combined.
Who are these bowlers? According to SGMA, 53 percent are male; 47 percent are female"

Bingo bill aims to cut state fee

Bingo bill aims to cut state fee:
"'Local participation is down by about 150 players per day, or 300 per bingo weekend,' she said. 'We have witnessed a decrease in our pull-tab revenue each bingo weekend to the tune of $8,000 to $10,000.' Pull-tabs are printed tickets that have a pull-tab, or seal, opened to reveal a winning or losing combination on each ticket or on a separate card.
'The players are saving their money for an evening at Hollywood Slots, and the locals are choosing to go to Hollywood Slots,' Loring said.
'With the loss of local player dollars and pull-tab revenue, we are experiencing losses of around $20,000 to $30,000 per game weekend,' she said.
If the losses continue at their current rate, the tribe projects, the Penobscot Nation stands to lose revenues of at least $200,000 a year, she said.
The Penobscot Nation is the only federally recognized American Indian tribe in Maine licensed to operate high-stakes bingo games."

Slots look-alikes pop up in Arundel - baltimoresun.com

Slots look-alikes pop up in Arundel - baltimoresun.com:

"At Bingo World in Brooklyn Park, rows of new video-gaming machines dazzle with displays of spinning cherries, 7's and BAR icons. The machines emit a series of throaty 'ka-chings' when the symbols line up, and they can spit out vouchers that can be redeemed for hundreds of dollars.

Some patrons who feed $20 bills into the machines call them 'slots,' but the operators of three bingo halls in Anne Arundel County that have installed 200 of the machines during the past year consider them instant video bingo machines that conform with state and county laws.




Critics aren't so sure. As Maryland lawmakers resume the debate over legalizing slot machines statewide, House Speaker Michael E. Busch questioned whether there is a significant difference between the new video bingo machines and slots.

'That's a legitimate question - and one the attorney general ought to review,' said Busch, an Anne Arundel County Democrat and a slots opponent.

Assistant Attorney General Kathryn M. Rowe, citing a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling six years ago that cleared the way for instant video bingo machines in Calvert County, said, 'As far as state law goes, if [the new Anne Arundel machines] are the same as the Calvert County machines, they are legal.'

Representatives for two of the three Anne Arundel establishments, Bingo World and Wayson's Bingo in Lothian, declined requests for comment. Officials at the third, Delta Daily Double Bingo in Laurel, referred questions to a manager, Craig Romak, who was unavailable for comment.

The emergence of instant video bingo machines in Anne Arundel comes as some Maryland lawmakers, including Senate President Thomas"