Charitable gambling advocates worried
The charitable gambling advocates are looking to electronic bingo and other changes to reinvigorate a business they view as in free fall.
According to Allied Charities of Minnesota, charitable gambling contributions have dropped more than 50 percent from a high of $101 million in 1989 to $43 million last year.
That’s lower than in 1986, the first full year of charitable gambling, the association notes.
Beyond this, charitable gambling organizations paid almost as much in state taxes as they contributed to causes in the community, explained King Wilson, executive director of Allied Charities of Minnesota.
Wilson is concerned that promoters of charitable gambling, looking at their spreadsheets, will conclude it’s not worth the trouble.
Nearly 1,900 organizations had charitable gambling in 1988, but that number has fallen to about 1,250.
Wilson indicated a lot of the fall off happened within the first few years of charitable gambling — people got into it thinking it was free money, he noted.
“It’s a business,” he said.
Wilson points to the smoking ban and to the .08 alcohol limit as reducing the number of people coming to bars — he also points to the economy as hurting charitable gambling.
Allied Charities is looking at ways of reinvigorating the charitable gambling industry.
One idea they want to take to the State Capitol next session is the idea of electronic bingo.
“I know all the bills will be there,” said Wilson of racino, slot machines in bars, and other the gambling bills that mark a legislative session.
Wilson said his group sent their press release to the media and lawmakers as a means of letting people know about the troubles the charitable gambling industry faces.
