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Should pull-tabs be expanded?
Video kind could boost charity
Published Tuesday, February 10, 2009
District 27A Rep. Robin Brown introduced legislation last week to legalize video pull-tabs for charitable gambling organizations such as the American Legion.
The bill proposes to amend a state statute already in place and to allow service organizations to own or lease up to five electronically simulated games in their facilities.
Brown said since Diamond Jo Casino opened in Northwood, Iowa, many service clubs have been struggling with revenue. The bill would give clubs the ability to compete.
She said it’s an issue she’s been hearing from constituents for at least a year, specifically from members of the American Legion Leo Carey Post 56 and other service clubs in Albert Lea.
Robin Brown
“If we were to get the video gambling, it would allow us to raise money to let us do things we used to do for the charitable organizations in our county — things that we can’t do now because we don’t have any funds,” said American Legion Leo Carey Post 56 Commander Dave Mullenbach.
One of the only projects the local service organization has been able to support is American Legion baseball, but even that has sometimes been a struggle for which to raise money, Mullenbach said.
The commander said though Diamond Jo Casino has supported the American Legion to a degree — in that the gaming license holder, nonprofit Worth County Development Authority, has awarded some grants — it’s not at the capacity that the Legion used to support its club and community.
Mullenbach said the gambling at the organization went down to about half when Diamond Jo opened. It has slowly started to come back up.
Dave Mullenbach
Kyle Olson, gaming manager for Leo Carey Post 56, said despite the slow increase, gross receipts are still down at least 25 percent of where they were at before Diamond Jo opened.
Olson said he thinks if something like Brown’s bill were to go into effect, “I would think that would be a pretty good deal.”
He’s also in favor of a video bingo, he said.
A companion bill is expected to be introduced by District 27 Sen. Dan Sparks, Brown said.
Brown was one of three authors to also introduce a bill Monday that would establish video lottery terminals with revenue dedicated for education funding.
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Comments
Posted by nisperos (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sarah, please have a little more respect for a veteran's service organization and don't call it one of the "charitable gambling organizations". Editor?
Posted by geokarjo (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Should she had wrote "American Legion who offers charitable gaming......"
Posted by badjuju (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just a little info.... Seems' that everyone is taking a swipe at Diamond-Jo's because their pull trade numbers are down. I read it in the Eagles lantern all the time about how the casino has hurt their charitable gaming and now the American Legion is saying that their numbers are also down by 25%.I think we should look at some of the real problems.
Number 1... Minnesota's no smoking in bars and resturants has done no favors to the charitable gaming at all.You can still light up in the casino.Just in case your wondering,no I do not smoke.
Number 2...It takes a real special function to keep people at a bar in Albert Lea past 11pm. Most will leave before the police have a shift change.
number 3...Look around, the economy really sucks. If people only have so much entertainment money they have to make a choice on how or were to spend it.
Being a club member in town for over 25 yrs, blaming it all on the casino is wrong. People just don't hit the clubs and bars like they once did,and now they go to where they get the most bang for the buck.
Posted by newyankee (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The "Freedom to Breathe" act or infringement on private property rights as I like to call it, has had a very significant (downward) impact on charitable gambling across the state.
Posted by scurvydog (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Speaking of casinos, why is smoking allowed at Diamond Jo but not at other establishments in Iowa? They aren't an Indian-run casino, so they don't have that exemption. How can it be about the health factor if it doesn't apply to a casino? How is that any different than a bar or a restaurant that formerly allowed its patrons to smoke?
Posted by ALnative (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well put "badjuju".
I support and help out at a Club that offers charitable gambling in the south metro of Mpls/St. Paul and spent decades as a resident in AL.
Since the smoking ban went into effect and the consistent down turn in our economy, my local club has seen a large decrease (greater than 25%) in their pull tab sale/proceeds.
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good point scurvydog!
Posted by seventyone (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I work at the casino and just to let you know they putting up no smoking areas in the casino. I figured they are just doing that since everyone is throwing fits about them being able to smoke in there. I agree if they won't let you smoke in bars and rest. why in the casino. I also work in an American Legion. I don't think the smoking ban has really had an effect on business there. But back to the issue, we have seen a dramatic drop in sales of pull tabs that would fund alot of community activities, the big pull tab spenders now go to the casino. The casino has had a huge effect on the small business' around. Anything that anyone can do to improve the bar business definately has my support. The casino gives out alot of money, but no money to the little things that the American Legions donate to. We also do benefits for people, lend out misc. medical supplies, the casino does not do things like that we have to do what we can to support our American Legions.
Posted by geokarjo (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Go into every bar in Albert Lea after 7 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday count how many people are in the bars. It will probably be the bartender and just a couple people. People don't come in anymore and gamble or socialize. The business is down considerably. The drop in sales tax from these enterprises is why the state faces a deficit.
Posted by NoDFL (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What I see is that the more government is involved with business the more they hurt them. Smoking ban, sales tax, ordinances extra. This is call unintended consequences. We just don't think about how government regulation effects people until we see them hurting. Most of the time the government fix is worse than the problem. But to each their own.
Posted by tallyman (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 3:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nisperos: you are harsh today. what do you call a duck? just because the legion services veterans doesn't mean it isn't also a charitable gambling organization. I can call a duck a duck but i can also call it a bird or a waterfowl or a fine feathered friend or a web-footed wonder.
Posted by tallyman (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By the way, don't you think too many people see gambling as a solution to problems when it really is just a tax on the poor? We were better off before lottery and pull-tabs and casinos and all these opportunities to "game" away hardearned dollars. Playing upon people's dreams is wrong.
Posted by nisperos (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it's a time for holding money to later invest or using money to pay down debt.
If government is to blame, it's the policies of the last administration which bequeathed de-regulation of the financial industry and tax-breaks for off-shoring.
There's more than one way to raise money and life's too short and too busy to sit around in a bar on a routine basis. Sure, I like to go for a round now and then, but it's foolish to think there's going to be much growth in regular customers.
Posted by Opinionated (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Allot of solid points have been here. I agree that we tend to make laws on a knee jerk reaction and we don’t look at the second and third order effects that it will have, like the smoking ban. No, I don’t smoke either, in case you were wondering. I whole-heartedly disagree with Tallyman; people have choices, even the so-called poor. No one puts a gun to their head and forces them to gamble. The slumping economy has had an effect on what people spend their money on. I know that seems to be the popular thing to blame it on these days, but I do think that it is a legitimate reason. With my statement about choice, maybe after reading this article more people will chose to support these more charitable local organizations instead of going to the casino down the road.
Posted by headscratcher (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tallyman---I agree with you on the being better off before the lottery and gambling.
The only place that I have ever heard of that life was better because of the lottery and that is Georgia...GA residents don't have to pay state college tuition. Wish I had lived there when it was time for my kids to go to college.
Posted by whobfc (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 6:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Who's got money for pull tabs anyway? I'd rather spend my money on groceries or rent!
Posted by headscratcher (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I know right??
Posted by mosedart (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't smoke and i'm glad for the smoking ban. Now I go out more often and spend more money. I would argue that bars actually show an increase in business (it's actually like 8%) after a smoking ban becuase of people like me. Being a non-smoker it's nice to come home after a night out and not smell like an ashtray.
Posted by Truth (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 8:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What ever happen to freedom? I mean if a business wanted to go smoke free great if not so be it. If they truely saw an 8% growth in sales in this market than every business would have done it just to make money and there would be no reason to make it a law. What is wrong with the business making the choice. Let the market rule. I don't smoke never have so I would choose a nonsmoke business over a smoke one but why should the law make that choice for me. I think we the people should have that right not the government.
Posted by tallyman (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 9:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, you are free to choose not to gamble.
But if you are wealthy, gambling is different for you than when you are poor. When you are wealthy, gambling is just a sport and if you lose, it's not that big of a deal. You have more where that came from.
When you are poor, you give away what little you have. All for dreams of no longer being poor.
And then we put these opportunities all over the place, everywhere a transaction is made. It becomes more than a choice; it's real pressure. Be free, sure. Just don't shove all your gambling choices in my face. Put it back there with the porn magazines or something. Don't make it our national pastime and the source of our charitable giving.
Posted by NoDFL (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 9:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No one is forced to gamble. Are you telling me that people either poor or rich are so weak that they need to be saved from the evil lotto? I have more faith in man than that. I am not rich far from it yet I feel no preasure to gamble. I just do not get why people are not responsible for their actions again they are not forced they have the freedom to choose. What is sad is that we have replaced the American dream with the nanny state. I remember being told that if I worked hard and was honest and tried I could do anything. If I failed well so what learn my lesson and try again. Now we reward failure and punish success. Then we wonder why we are in trouble.
Posted by gone (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 9:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We should definitely support more gambling, more smoking, and more drinking. If you gamble enough you can live off publicly funded health care when the smoking and drinking catch up with you. Service organizations and states should create more opportunities for addictive personalities.
Posted by Opinionated (anonymous) on February 10, 2009 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess you misunderstood my statement on choice. I guess I should also have included personal responsibility. Whether you are rich or poor you still have free will to choose what you do with your money. You also have the personal responsibility to manage your money as you see fit. Not to blame someone else for your decisions. If you chase that dream of not being poor you have to be able to deal with the consequences if you do not become instantly rich. Just because a person makes poor life decisions does not mean they can pawn off the blame on someone else. I agree with Truth, we live in a capitalist society. If some other business offers a product better than the next guy, then people buy that better product. It’s the same concept for an establishment that offers a certain atmosphere. If one establishment offers a non-smoking atmosphere, over a smoking atmosphere, then people will go to the establishment they prefer. This is what they call offering a choice and giving the people an option. If a law is made, our options and choices are being taken away. Now, before you all jump to conclusion, I do not believe that there should be anarchy in the streets. I do believe that laws are necessary for a civil society to survive. I also believe that laws should also be limited in order to preserve a free society.
Posted by hardtail (anonymous) on February 11, 2009 at 6:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
it's a little late to be concerned about the moral issue of gambling,that was over and done when we allowed the first casino and the first pull tab. i thing we should allow state run casino's like nevada. i agree that people should be able to spend their money as they want. that includes prostitution and marijuana. take the money out of organized crime and you've won the battle.not real hard to figure out.
Posted by hardtail (anonymous) on February 11, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
just the comment-i sure haven't seen anything getting done yet with big o,tells me you have never been in business for yourself and you are totally in the dark with whats going on.
Clinton left with a surplus, bush left us in record debt ,get it ,probably not. don't burp yourself on the back to hard hero.
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