Indian casinos facing threat of boycott push from Catholic charities

SignOnSanDiego.com

By Michael Gardner

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080808/news_1n8bingo.html

Catholic churches and charities say they will urge Californians to boycott Indian casinos if tribes don't step aside and allow nonprofits to launch a new form of bingo that could bring in millions of dollars for struggling social service programs and religious schools.

The threat escalates what has been an already nasty political battle in the Capitol between charities and gaming tribes over the types of bingo games that nonprofits can offer.

Frustration over the deadlock grew this week, with charities accusing tribes of undermining legislation that would allow nonprofits to offer a new paper bingo game that connects games statewide in real-time video. “Remote caller bingo” would increase interest, build larger jackpots and pump more money into nonprofit causes, supporters say.

“We are ready to go into a boycott,” said the Rev. Joseph Shea, pastor of St. Rose of Lima, a 5,000-member Catholic church in Simi Valley. “We call this a need vs. greed issue.”

Barring a compromise in the waning days of the legislative session, Shea said the church will promote the boycott in bulletins and from the pulpit.

Elks Lodges also are counting on the proposed new bingo game to draw more revenues as they confront dwindling resources to run social service programs and offer scholarships.

Robert Rubio, a district chairman of the Elks in Calexico, was confident people would choose charity over casinos if a boycott is called. “That's a no-brainer,” he said.

With negotiations ongoing, a tribal representative said she was surprised charities were taking a hard line.

“I don't know why they feel some ante needs to be upped,” said Alison Harvey, executive director of the California Tribal Business Alliance. “We're still talking about this and they sound like they've thrown in the towel.”

Tribes are interested in containing nontribal bingo, not eliminating it, she said. Tribes are willing to concede to some growth in jackpots, now a maximum of $250. But they oppose efforts by nonprofits to allow winnings to reach as much as 37 percent of the receipts of each game, Harvey said.

Tribes also want to see restrictions on the frequency of bingo nights and oppose proposals that would allow paid outsiders to run the games, Harvey said. “They want to turn this into a huge commercial enterprise with no limit on the pot,” she said.

Charities say their revenues are evaporating because of the hard economic times and competition from Indian casinos.

Shea said bingo receipts help offset the cost of running Catholic schools, which also are experiencing shrinking revenues.

Charities have also pledged to support a bill to ban nontribal electronic bingo machines that mimic slot machines that are opposed by the tribes and deemed illegal by the Attorney General's Office.