Editor’s note: This represents the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board, which is separate from the paper’s news operation.
Bingo halls might seem like bygone relics from a time when women sported beehives and smoked cigarettes with holders, but nonprofits are hoping to revive the game of chance to bring in more money for more charities across Colorado.
We wish them well in the endeavor and hope Amendment C passes, although we’re not sure if it’ll save the bingo parlors of old unless maybe bingo becomes a weird Generation Z thing.
Either way, we’re open to loosening the regulations on bingo games to see if it allows charities to put them to better use for their causes.
Under Colorado’s constitution, only nonprofits that have been operating for at least five years in the state can apply for a license to conduct bingo or raffle games, and those nonprofits cannot pay the people working in the bingo hall any money. The intent was that there would be more charity going on and less overhead costs if bingo games were run solely with volunteers, but now that Colorado is down to just a handful of bingo halls, nonprofits want to try a different route.
The amendment was sent to voters by lawmakers with considerable bipartisan support. In the state House, 63 representatives voted yes with one no, and in the Senate 28 senators voted yes and five voted no. Because nonprofit licensing laws for games of chance were put in the Constitution in 1958, it’ll take 55% of voters to make this change. So be sure not to skip this one on your ballot if you’ve got a rabbit’s foot and a lucky dauber ready to go.
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