We love being able to bring tales of bingo from all around the world, and the latest from Canada seems to buck the long held belief that bingo and charity go well together. Despite the successes of UK bingo operators such as Gala Bingo, Foxy Bingo and 888Ladies Bingo, which have all been in our good books for their generous nature, a bingo hall owner in Quebec City has been called before the province’s gaming commission for owing thousands of dollars to charity.
Steve Blouin, owner of Bingo Jean-Talon, has been asked to appear in front of the commission in March to explain the defaulted payments. In Quebec, the gaming laws seem geared to generosity. By law, bingo operators are required to share profits with non-profit organizations, helping the cities cash strapped charities stay afloat.
But according to reports, at least 10 charities in the province’s capital region say they still haven’t received their annual payment from the club owned by Blouin, with the money owed totalling a massive $40,000 from last autumn.
To make the situation worse, some of the charities are close to folding because of financial pressure. The president of a coalition set up to represent the organisations in their quest to claim back the money they are owed, Gaétan Drapeau, described the situation as “critical”.
“It’s very critical. Some of them may be closing their doors in a few days or a few weeks,” he said.
Most organizations live hand to mouth in order to help society’s most vulnerable, he said.
Blouin said he is working out a solution to pay the organizations, but hasn’t settled yet because of administrative problems. And echoing the thoughts of many local bingo club owners in Britain, he pointed to the smoking ban in Canada having an adverse effect on profits, meaning the bingo hall was not as lucrative as it used to be.
But is this bad luck on Blouin’s part or is he just being a bit of a miser?! And we wonder if such obligatory charity laws would have the same effect on operators here?? Given that Gala Bingo has recently pledged to take it’s total fund for Sue Ryder Care up to £1.5 million during 2010 despite well documented debt woes throughout 2009, it seems like maybe we Brits know that if there is one thing better than playing bingo, it’s knowing you are doing it for a good cause!!
