Seniors again yell "Bingo!"

After a three-month scramble to obtain permits from the state, the township's five senior citizens clubs have received permission to resume their weekly bingo games and 50/50 raffles.

"It was a long time coming and everybody was elated," said Marta Afonso, president of the Bonhamtown senior club. "They were so elated — it was unbelievable."

The Bonhamtown club was holding its weekly meeting Friday when a representative from the state Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission visited to tie up loose ends and hand-deliver official state identification cards for each of the senior clubs.

The Bonhamtown seniors didn't waste any time. They immediately started exchanging quarters for bingo cards, playing again for $2 prizes.

"Today was a very happy day for everyone," Afonso said. "They really enjoyed themselves and so did I.

There was a big burden lifted off my shoulders."

Paid bingo and 50/50 raffles were banned in the township three months ago, when township officials discovered that state law requires senior clubs to obtain special permits.

In a letter dated April 13, the township's director of health and human services instructed the senior clubs to "cease and desist immediately."

"Apparently it is blatantly illegal to engage in any raffle, 50/50, or bingo for money or prizes without the organization having a valid state registration and a license issued through the Township Clerk's office," John Grun wrote in the letter.

Some clubs continued playing bingo without charging for cards, but others found their members didn't want to play without the prospect of a $2 prize and halted their games altogether.

State law mandates that the clubs must now obtain permits from the township, but township officials have allowed the seniors to resume their games in the interim, said Judi Gillingham, the township's assistant director for aging.

"As of 11:30 this morning the clubs were given permission to begin playing bingo again," said Gillingham, who worked with each of the senior clubs to help complete the paperwork for the state. "They're thrilled, we're thrilled for them — I'm so thrilled for them."

Senior club presidents and treasurers spent hours trying to sort through the information requested by the state. They needed to provide proof of net proceeds from the last year of 50/50 raffles and how that money was spent and figures for the bingo-card sales and payout amounts.

Alice Sporer, president of the Lindeneau club, spent four or five hours going over the paperwork with her club's treasurer.

"To me, its like, why do they have to know?" Sporer asked. "It would just make more paperwork for the state. We hand out maybe $30 in $5 increments for our 50/50, so what are we taking in? Maybe $30 a week?

Eileen Davis, president of the Stelton club, also had a hard time with the paperwork.

"It was a confusing procedure for ordinary people like us," Davis said. "But we got a lot of help from Judi Gillingham, and we appreciate all the help we got from her."

She already called all her club's table captains to tell them that bingo would be returning next week. Since attendance dropped off after bingo was banned, she expects more seniors to be on the buses to next week's meeting.

"We're just glad to have it back," she said.

But Bob Curtis, president of the Clara Barton senior club, is peeved with everyone involved in the bingo situation — from the township to the state.

"What aggravates me is when this initially started it was like pulling teeth to get the township officials to help you," said Curtis, whose club received its state license on Wednesday — two days before the others. "When there's a problem, some people dive head-first into the pool, and some people put their toe in water — and they put their toe in the water."

He plans to write letters to the attorney general and the governor to complain.

"It seems to be an awful waste of resources," he said, referring to the state office that regulates bingo and raffles. "They're wasting their resources with a couple senior-citizen centers playing bingo? What — are you out of your mind?"

The Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission oversees bingo and raffle licensing laws for nonprofit organizations throughout the state. Penalties for violating the laws are up to $7,500 for a first offense and $15,000 for repeat offenders.

Since some of the senior clubs have been playing bingo for free since April, getting the OK to resume their 50/50 raffles is an even bigger deal. The proceeds, while small, go toward luncheons for the seniors, charities, scholarship programs, care packages for grandkids in Iraq and a slew of senior-citizen activities.

The senior clubs will have to apply for a renewal of their state licenses every two years.