The Battle Over Electronic Bingo Continues

Rich, politically powerful Indian tribes are pushingCalifornia legislators to outlaw some casino competition: slot-like bingo machines that generate millions of dollars for high school sports teams, the blind and disabled.

The Assembly on Wednesday voted 56 to 3 to ban the electronic machines, which tribes say violate their exclusive right to operate slot machines in California. The Senate is expected to pass the measure soon.


The proposed ban was written only two weeks ago -- months after the deadline for introducing legislation. State Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) gutted a bill about school lunches and inserted the bingo measure.

Few interest groups could pull off such a coup in the waning days of the legislative session, which ends at midnight Sunday. But the tribes are among the biggest political donors to state lawmakers.

And the tribes are business partners with the cash-starved state, which depends upon payments of more than $100 million a year from them to ease its budget problems. Some tribes have been threatening to withhold money if the state does nothing to restrict the bingo machines.


Officials of the small charities that depend on the machines say they are being put out of business by a political juggernaut.

For the complete story, please see Nancy Vogel California tribes seek to ban slot-like bingo machines
, Los Angeles Times, August 28, 2008.

"Big Guys" Calling the Shots in Bingo Dispute

Every session of the Legislature offers several examples of some big interest groups ganging up to kick the stuffing out of a smaller interest group. In this session, the premier example centers on the seemingly innocuous game of bingo.

The big guys in this instance are the state's Indian tribes and the Catholic Church. They have joined forces to push through a bill that would outlaw electronic bingo machines, and in the process cripple fundraising efforts for an untold number of small charities across California.

This lets the tribes and the church hold onto their share of the gambling business. For the tribes, it's their legal monopoly on slot machines; for the church, it's the caller-and-dauber bingo games that are a staple of parish fundraising.

For the complete story, please see Editorial: B-I-N-G-O V-E-T-O, Sacremento Bee, August 24, 2008.

Plans for Fruitport Casino Still in the Works

The Fruitport Township Board of Trustees voted Monday to form a negotiation committee to meet with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians when more concrete details of a proposed casino are on the table.

The board also -- for the third time -- approved a resolution of support of the tribe bringing the possible venture to the former Great Lakes Down racetrack property.

The tribe bought the land earlier this year and additional parcels nearby with plans to construct a casino and hotel.

The board twice previously had approved a resolution supporting the development -- once without a contingency calling for a municipal services agreement, and two weeks later, an amended resolution that required such an agreement. But the second approval came without a full board present.

For the complete story, please see Heather Lynn Peters, Fruitport Township still laying groundwork for casino, Muskegon Chronicle, August 26, 2008.

Bingo Paper Not Sold in Specific Color Patterns Unless Requested

Bingo paper can be confusing, and ordering the right bingo books sometimes is difficult. This is especially true for our customers who are managing a bingo event for the first time. While we try to make this as easy as possible for our customers purchasing at WholesaleBingoSupplies.com, we always try to be a little more informative and a little more descriptive when we see an opportunity to help our customers. Well, one of those opportunities occurred just this week.

On Monday, we received a return from a customer who had ordered collated bingo books from us. I'll call this customer "Betty".

While Betty had received her order quickly and accurately from our standpoint, Betty felt that she had received the wrong product. Betty was asking for a refund. So, how could Betty feel that there was an error, and at the same time we felt that we had shipped her the correct order?

The confusion occurred because Betty had assumed that the pictured examples of our collated papers were the exact color scheme that she'd be receiving. However, this isn't the case. For example, when someone orders 6on-10up bingo paper from our website, we ship them the 6on-10up bingo paper that is carried in our inventory. These books could begin with purple or a number of other colors, and have various colors throughout. While we accomodate specific color requests, they can take longer and cost more because we often will have to manufacture these books from scratch. The pictures shown on our website are simply examples so that people understand the difference between a 6on-10up and a 3on-10up.

And, while the great majority of our customers don't care what color scheme they receive, it was important to Betty. And, I'll admit, it was a pretty easy for Betty to assume the examples shown was exactly what she'd be getting because while, we'd mentioned in a few places on our site that the paper bingo cards don't come in specific color patterns, we hadn't mentioned it enough.

So what happened? Well, first we apologized to Betty, and issued her a full refund for the bingo products she'd ordered. Next, we added more wording on our bingo cards page and collated paper page that hopefully will clear this up for everyone in the future. Finally, we simply hope that Betty keeps us in mind the next time she hosts a bingo fundraiser and gives us another try.

Poll Shows More Than Half Favor Casino

A new poll shows that more than half of Ohioans support a proposal to build a casino in southwest Ohio between Columbus and Cincinnati.

The poll conducted by The Columbus Dispatch found that 53 percent said they either strongly favor or favor the $600 million casino and resort, which would be built near the city of Wilmington.

Thirty-seven percent said they either oppose or strongly oppose the idea.

For the complete story, please see Poll shows more than half support southwest Ohio casino, The Associated Press, August 24, 2008.

Casino Opponents Gear Up for Fight

Language on the gambling ballot initiative for a casino in Clinton County contains loopholes that could wipe out its proposed tax benefits and lead to more casinos in the state, opponents of the measure said Friday.

Beachwood, Ohio-based MyOhioNow.com’s Issue 6 measure for the November ballot, proposed in cooperation with Minneapolis-based Lakes Entertainment Inc., calls for Ohio’s first casino to be developed midway between Columbus and Cincinnati in Clinton County. Under their proposal, the $600 million casino’s revenue would be taxed at a 30 percent initial rate, distributing funds throughout Ohio’s 88 counties.

The language also states, however, that the casino could be taxed at the lowest rate of any Ohio-based casino. If an Indian casino exempt from state and local taxes goes up in the future, it could virtually eliminate the tax structure promised by Issue 6, said Melanie Elsey, legislative director for the Ohio Roundtable business group, a casino opponent.

Rick Lertzman, who heads MyOhioNow with Brad Pressman, said the ballot language states that the Clinton County casino’s tax rate could drop from 30 percent to 25 percent if a second casino is built, but voters would have to approve new tax language before the rates could slip any further.

For the complete story, please see Maria Galluci, Casino opponents say loopholes open door for more, Business Courier, August 25, 2008.

WholesaleBingoSupplies.com Contest Nearing an End

Only a little over a week left in WholesaleBingoSupplies.com flat-screen TV giveaway contest. Again, we will announce the winner right here on our blog on September 2, 2008. For more information on this contest and the latest news on bingo, keep your eyes on this site.

Will Gaming Continue Its Downward Slide?

A tough economy and steep fuel prices are hurting Las Vegas and other casino areas. Relief might not come anytime soon

Casino operators have been rolling snake eyes this year. In the U.S., would-be gamblers, hit with higher gas prices and rising unemployment, are nixing their Las Vegas vacations this summer, and some gaming companies are being forced to delay expansion plans or file for bankruptcy amid the credit crunch. And things have gotten dicey overseas: Reports that the Chinese government might restrict visits to Macau, a gaming hotbed where U.S. operators such as MGM Mirage (MGM), Wynn Resorts (WYNN), and Las Vegas Sands (LVS) have significant properties, depressed the share prices of those outfits on Aug. 20.

And that's just the latest manifestation of the sector's losing streak. Since the beginning of 2008, the Standard & Poor's Casinos and Gaming Index is down 36%.

Some Regions Are Winners

A bounce-back for the beleaguered industry is not a sure bet. Shareholders in MGM Mirage, for instance, which owns gaming resorts like the Bellagio and the MGM Grand, saw the company report a 69% decline in second-quarter earnings in August. To boot, rival Las Vegas Sands posted an $8.8 million loss for the second quarter because of high borrowing costs and more competition in Macau.

Of course, there are brighter spots, as some particular regions have been more successful than others. While Las Vegas-centric casino companies have suffered from tepid tourism recently—hotels in the city saw a 2.4% drop in total occupancy levels and a 5.5% decline in average daily rates in May from a year earlier, according to a recent Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority report—some regional casinos have fared better. In Iowa, which houses casinos from industry players like Isle of Capri (ISLE) and privately owned Harrah's, gaming revenues were up 1.5% in July, to $126 million, according to research from Banc of America Securities.

"While in the Midwest you've seen manufacturing and the auto industry falling off, farmers are doing really well," says Esther Y. Kwon, an S&P analyst for the gaming industry. "So when you're looking at casinos you should look at them on a regional basis." (S&P, like BusinessWeek, is a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP).)

For the complete story, please see Ricky McRosky When Will Casinos Snap Their Losing Streak?, Business Week, August 21, 2008.

Will Bingo Compromise Hurt Smaller Bingos?

California's politically powerful Indian casino tribes and the state's major charities have worked out a deal that would allow the charities to expand their bingo operations while preserving the tribes' constitutional monopoly on slot machines.

But the intensely lobbied compromise, which has been privately hammered out in the waning days of the legislative session and wedged into a state Senate bill Monday, appears to leave some small charities, particularly in Sacramento, out in the cold.

The deal would specifically ban charities from operating "electronic bingo" machines, which the tribes claim are slot machines and which have been a bone of legal contention for two decades. In return, the charities could link their games through venues such as simulcasting and offer much bigger prizes.

For more information, please see Steve Wiegand, Bingo deal could hurt small charities, SacBee.com, August 19, 2008.

Some Guidelines for Your Bingo's Layout and Location (Part 2)

Last week, we discussed part 1 of Some Guidelines for Your Bingo's Layout and Location. We discussed hall size, lighting, and tables and chairs. Today, I'm going to continue the conversation and talk about your bingo's sales area setup.

Sales Area

For bingo games, it's important that you place your sales area near the main entrance. This ways bingo players can view your entire range of bingo books and other bingo supplies as they enter. Have flyers with your bingo program available for players to take to their seats and also your bingo program posted and clearly visible.

If your bingo still uses hard cards , keep them in an area well before the bingo players reach the sales area. If you must, keep the bingo hard cards in an isolated area. Bingo players often like to take their time picking out their own bingo cards , and by isolating these items, you're keeping your sales and entrance locations free of congestion.

Your sales tables should be lined up in a way to maximize traffic flow. If your space is limited, it may be necessary to sell some of your bingo supplies at a separate table location. However, keep in mind, that a bingo player is less likely to purchase bingo items from separate tables than if all of the items are presented together.

Keep all of your bingo game supplies neat and orderly. Have your bingo daubers , bingo paper , and other items organized and clearly priced and packaged. Your sales people should know the prices and supplies, but make sure they have a cheat sheet sheet or other information at their fingertips.

It is usually best to place your paper sales close to the cashier. During a busy sales period, bingo workers may not feel they have the time to check every paper order that comes through even though they should. Having the cashier and paper sales in close proximity will help act as checks on each other to make sure that players are billing correctly. Also, have someone assist the cashier with player purchases to speed things further.

Overall, you want to make sure that your sales area is easy for players to follow. Simplified sales flyers and price charts, pre-assembled packages, and knowledgable workers will help make your sales area fast and easy for your bingo players.

Bingo Supplies Orders; When is Small Too Small?

We've recently been having an in-house debate at Wholesale Bingo Supplies.com about whether or not we should accept orders under a certain amount, say $9.95. On one side are those that say we should accept any size bingo game supplies order. And, on the other side, there are those that wonder whether an order for just a few bingo dobbers is worth the time and effort. At the moment, I'm sitting firmly on the fence.

I can understand the workers who feel that almost any order is a good order, and that we shouldn't worry about the size. All orders add up and if someone only buys a couple of plastic chips this time, what's to say that they won't come back and purchase more once we show them what Wholesale Bingo Supplies is all about?

I can also see the other group's point. Sometimes it's the smallest orders that can create the biggest problems. Say that someone orders 2 bingo daubers that are currently being kept in a separate warehouse from our shipping department. We can have those daubers transported to our shipping department, or arrange for them to be shipped from there current location. Both options take time and effort.

Then there's the additional question of how valuable is a customer going to be if they're willing pay $7-$9 shipping for a $2 product? Is this person really a bingo player who will return to our site, or are they purchasing the items for a one time project?

Obviously, we need to think this through. We don't want to upset our customers or turn away customers. But, we are considering establishing a minimum order amount and/or a service charge on the smaller bingo supplies orders.

What do you think? If you're a customer of ours would this be a problem? If you run an online retail site yourself, what's your opinion on establishing minimum orders?

Muskegon Places Casino Idea on November Ballot

The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved placing a question on the Nov. 4 ballot asking residents for their opinions about allowing a casino to operate in the county.

The referendum is non-binding and Tuesday’s board action comes about a month after the Manistee-based Little River Band of Ottawa Indians announced it bought Great Lakes Downs with the intention of operating a casino there.

“We’re glad to see it,” Glenn Zaring, a spokesman for the tribe, said about the Muskegon County board’s decision. “It gives us a chance to get the true figures out there for everyone.”

The tribe’s current agreement with Michigan limits it to operating only one casino in the state and it already owns and operates the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee Township.

For the full story, please see Kevin Braciszeski, Muskegon Co. to vote about casino, Ludington Daily News, August 14, 2008.

Battle Creek Casino on Fast Track for 2009

Stress-Con Industries added 40 to 45 people to its Kalamazoo plant to keep pace with demand for architectural and structural precast concrete for the sound barriers along Interstate 94 and for the parking garage at FireKeepers Casino, going up just east of Exit 104 near Battle Creek.

"This project is a four-and-one-half story parking garage five bays wide. The bays are 60-foot each. This is not a small project," said Malek Eljizi, vice president and general manager of Stress-Con. "This is not a small project by any means -- not for us or any other company."

Construction cost of the 236,000-square-foot casino and the five-level parking garage is estimated around $115 million. Total work hours to build it are estimated around 295,000. Site preparation began in May, and the building is scheduled to be enclosed by Thanksgiving. It is scheduled to open in the summer of 2009.

"It is fast-tracked," said Jeff Bays, vice president of Cook Jackson Co. in Battle Creek.
"When we bid it, we were required to bid 10-hour days Monday through Friday and eight hours on Saturday. So that's the game plan."

For the complete story, please see Lynn Stevens, Casino keeps local subs busy, Western Michigan Business Review, August 14, 2008.

Bingo Battle Heats Up

Who knew bingo was so controversial?

In recent months, Sacramento has seen a legal and media battle over charity bingo halls. The California Tribal Business Alliance (CTBA) and the Attorney General have been trying to shut down several charity bingo halls they say aren't complying with the rules set out for the game in state law. These so-called bingo parlors, they say, resemble Vegas casinos, with electronic "bingo" machines that look and play like slot machines or video poker.

The California Charity Bingo Association has fought back with an ad campaign accusing "powerful special interest groups" wanting to cut off money for disabled veterans and sick children.

Charity bingo was legalized by a voter initiative in 1976. Over the last 30-plus years, it has provided millions of dollars for charities, according to Bingo Association lobbyist Ravi Mehta.

"People felt that charities should have a source of revenue so they're not always out there with their hand out," Mehta said.
In the 1980s, Mehta said, California Indian tribes decided they wanted to get in on the act. The state tried to block them, he said, but won the right to conduct bingo games in court. Many of the big tribal casinos also use bingo gaming machines, that don't count against their slot machine total.

"It's absolutely hypocritical," Mehta said. "These are the same arguments made against the tribes, and the tribes prevailed. Now the tribes are making the same arguments. These are not slot machines. These are legal bingo machines, just like the tribes have."

For more information, please see Malcolm Maclachlan, Tribes, bingo operators at war, Capitol Weekly, August 14, 2008.

Buckeye State to Allow Casinos?

Democrat Richard Cordray leads Republican Mike Crites by almost 2-to-1 in the race for Ohio attorney general, a new poll shows.

But the biggest surprise in a Quinnipiac University survey released today was that a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow a casino for southwestern Ohio holds a 15-point lead - despite repeated hammerings of similar proposals by Buckeye State voters in recent years.

"It may well be that the dire economy and the pervasive pessimism about it in Ohio may be behind these numbers," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the university's polling institute.

The MyOhioNow campaign is pushing to build a casino near Wilmington, roughly halfway between Columbus and Cincinnati. Backers of what is touted as a $600 million resort submitted 763,000 signatures Aug. 5, nearly double the 402,275 needed to qualify for the Nov. 4 ballot. Elections officials currently are verifying the signatures.

Advocates say that 30 percent of gambling revenue would be divided among Ohio's 88 counties based on population. Supporters also say the facility would create 5,000 jobs with an average salary of $34,000 a year plus benefits, for an area recently ravaged by job losses.

Gambling opponents still are organizing their campaign; it is expected to feature a multicity tour of religious leaders next month.

For the complete story, please see Darrell Rowland Cordray, casino lead in survey, The Columbus Dispatch, August 13, 2008.

Bingo, Gaming Industry Still Hurting

The high-flying gambling industry, long thought to be recession-proof, is having its wings clipped, and its woes may say as much about the economy as about the industry.

So far this year, a handful of debt-laden casino operators have filed for bankruptcy, and several others have shelved or slowed ambitious expansion plans as financing has become tougher to secure.

“Obviously, this is a time of great uncertainty within the gaming business,” said Jim Perry, chief executive of Isle of Capri Casinos, on a recent conference call with analysts. “A lot of it is caused by uncertainty regarding gas prices and the economic slowdown.”

The extent of the industry's troubles is all the more shocking because casinos had performed moderately well during the recessions of 1990-91 and 2001.

That's not proving to be the case this time around. Through June, gambling revenue in Las Vegas is down 5.6% year over year, according to data from Standard & Poor's. Revenue in Atlantic City has dropped 6.1%. In both locations, sales had continued to grow through the prior two recessions.

For the complete story, please see Mathew Monks, Gambling's woes more than a wager gone bad
, Financial Week, August 11, 2008.

Some Guidelines for Your Bingo's Layout and Location (Part 1)

Bingo equipment isn't the only thing that you need to think about when you set up your bingo. Things like hall size, lighting, tables and chairs, sales area layout, bingo game area setup, concession area layout and other location considerations all will have an impact on the success of your bingo.

Hall Size

It's a problem when your bingo hall's size limits the amount of bingo players that can attend your bingo. So, you need to pick a location that's going to accomodate the amount of players you expect. And, by accomodate we don't mean that you stick players around corners or in rooms tucked away with limited views.

You want your players to be comfortable, not cramped, and be able to view all aspects of the game including at least one bingo flashboard . Players that feel left out, or can't see what's going on, are not likely to return.

Lighting

Good lighting is very important for your bingo. Bingo players don't want to squint their eyes or have to bring a flashlight in order to read their bingo paper . Make sure that your lighting is bright enough, and change bad bulbs when they expire.

Tables and Chairs

Comfortable chairs are important for bingo players. Most bingo sessions last around 3 hours and that's a lot of sitting for anyone. While bingo cushions can help, not every player wants to bring one.

In addition to being comfortable your chairs and tables need to be clean and in good condition. Keep duct tape and other repair supplies handy for any tears or rough edges that appear. Make sure that repairs are made quickly.

Another consideration with tables is that they fit players properly. Does their size allow players to play across from each other if that's your intent? Do the tables fit your location space in a logical manner? Players like a little space to spread out their bingo paper and other bingo supplies . Make sure you give them as much as possible while at the same time you achieve your desired capacity.

Next: Part 2, The Layout of Your Bingo

Electronic Bingo Battle Heats Up in California

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.

For the complete story, please see Michael Gardner, Indian casinos facing threat of boycott push from Catholic charities , The San Diego-Union Tribune, August 8, 2008.

Grand Rapids Area Casino Clears Another Hurdle

Opponents of the Gun Lake Casino filed a motion July 29 in the U.S. Court of Appeals to delay the federal government’s decision to place 147 acres of land into trust for a Native American tribe.

Anti-casino group Michigan Gambling Opposition’s motion, called a stay, is crucial to the legal effort to prevent the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, now commonly referred to as the Gun Lake tribe, from gaining sovereign land. The tribe plans to build a multimillion-dollar casino near Bradley.

If they stay is granted, it will prevent the land from being placed into trust, giving MichGO a chance to take the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is similar to the order granted after MichGO lost its case in U.S. Circuit Court in 2007.

The tribe and the U.S. Department of Justice both filed briefs opposing the stay on Aug. 1.

Lawyers for the tribe reason that MichGO cannot meet the criteria the Supreme Court requires to hear the case.

Tribal spokesman James Nye said, “MichGO is using the identical arguments that have already been rejected in three incidences by the courts in separate cases.”


Nye said the court had refused to hear two other similar cases in 2006. He also said the high court had refused in February to hear a case from Rhode Island that used, in part, the same legal argument MichGO is using in its planned petition to the high court.

Specifically, the Supreme Court did not grant review of a part of the Carcieri v Kempthorne case, a question that deals with the constitutionality of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and whether it delegates legislative authority.

MichGO argues, as did the Rhode Island governor in the Carcieri case, that the U.S. government does not have the authority to place land into trust. The Supreme Court refused to hear that part of the case.

In its recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals panel likewise disagreed with MichGO’s assessment, saying in its decision that “we hold that ... section 5 of the IRA is not an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority.”

The decision was 2-1, however, and MichGO lawyer John Bursch said the dissenting opinion has given the group hope that the high court will decide to hear the case.

For more information, please see Bill Brown Court denies MichGO’s appeal , The Allegan County News, August 6, 2008.

Man Calls 911. Tells Police Slot Machine Stole His Money

What's next? A bingo player calling 911 to report that their bingo balls don't produce enough winning numbers?

The story begins below:

A second Florida man has been arrested on charges of making false 911 calls in as many days. An arrest report says 47-year-old Carlos Gutierrez was at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino early Monday and called 911 to say the slot machine stole his money. The report says Gutierrez left the casino to place a second 911 call to say the same thing.

For the complete story, please see Man tells 911 slot machine stole his money , Associated Press via San Francisco Chronicle, August 5, 2008

More Casinos Lead to Gambling Glut

In the raw economic numbers that the Potawatomi Indians are happy to trumpet, the casino that will open next year should be a gift to this region. Fifteen-hundred employees and $300 million in new investment, at a site between Marshall and Battle Creek, should make an impact.

But is this the kind of economic development that Michigan residents should want? We say no.

The Firekeepers Casino will be the 22nd casino in Michigan, according to the state's tourism bureau. Several have opened just this decade, while others — including a hard-fought Gun Lake tribal casino — still hope to get in on the action.

And for all of this activity, do we see a more robust state economy? Of course not. If anything, there are signs that Michigan is starting to experience a gambling glut. In time, that should just make the market more difficult for new competitors, including horse tracks.

FOr more information, please see More casinos lead to gambling glut , Jackson Citizen Patriot, August 7, 2008

6 "Do's" When Offering Merchandise Prizes at Your Bingo

At bingo, it can be a nice touch or change of pace to offer a merchandise prize instead of cash. Prizes can range in value from simple bingo daubers to flat-screen televisions.

If you decide that you would like to give away a merchandise prize at your next bingo, you should do the following:

1. Make sure to check with your local lottery agency and or regulatory body to understand the regulations in your area regarding bingo prize amounts, special forms required, etc.

2. Hold onto the original boxes that the merchandise prizes arrive in. Also, hold onto any warranties or guarantees that come with the product.

3. Have your bingo stand behind any merchandise warranties.

4. Make sure that at least one worker keeps watch over any bingo supplies and or merchandise prizes that are offered. Unfortunately, merchandise can "walk off" if unattended.

5. Lock up any merchandise prizes before and after your bingo. Make sure that any access to the bingo prizes is strictly controlled.

6. Examine the merchandise before it's given away as a prize. Is it clean and well-maintained? If not, don't give it away to your bingo players.

Wholesale Bingo Supplies.com Contest Details

Oops. In an earlier post I mentioned the contest taking place with our retail site, Wholesale Bingo Supplies.com .What I forgot to mention was what the details of the contest were and how you entered.

So, below are the details and you can enter at our bingo supplies home page .


We Need Your Help, and We’re Willing to Give You Something For It!

If you are happy with your purchase and our service, would you be willing to provide a simple voice testimonial for us?

It’s easy and won’t cost you anything but your time. And, as a bonus for providing your testimonial, we will enter your name 3 additional times into our 19” flat-screen TV giveaway. That means you’ll have a total of four entries to win the TV, including your automatic entry with this order!

Here’s how it works:

1) You call the toll free number (800) 609-9006 Ext. 1604

2) Say your first name, your home city and state, and begin recording.

3) Tell us what you liked about our company. Don’t sweat it, just be yourself.

4) When finished hang up and email us at CustomerSupport@WholesaleBingoSupplies.com letting us know. We will then enter your name an additional 3 times in our Flat Screen TV drawing .

The drawing will be held on August 31st, and will be announced on our Bingo Supplies Blog here.

Good luck!

Bingo Bob

Wholesale Bingo Supplies Contest Update

Thanks to you, we've received tremendous feedback on our flat-screen TV giveaway! We asked you to leave your audio comments for additional entries and we weren't disappointed.

Here are some of the things you told us:

"Shipping was extremely fast. Our bingo supplies were shipped the same day they were ordered."

"The Wholesale Bingo Supplies website was simple and easy to use. I found what I was looking for fast."

"The bingo supplies didn't cost a lot and I liked the selection of bingo paper ."

But, don't just take our word for it, listen to our customers themselves with the audio on our Bingo Supplies Customer Testimonial Page .

We appreciate all of the positive comments that were left and ask you to keep them coming. The contest is still underway, but hurry. The Flat-Screen giveaway ends on August 31st!

You Can't Please Everyone, Wholesale Bingo Supplies' Customers Included.

Bingo supplies is like every other business in at least one way. You can't please every customer. This truism hit home again last week as our staff dealt with a customer who, to put it plainly, over-estimated her value.

I'll call this particular customer "Sue". Sue originally ordered from Wholesale Bingo Supplies approximately a month ago. It was a small order (which is fine, we love orders of all sizes) for some $9.95 bingo paper . I remembered this order because she asked to use her own FedEx shipping number after she had already been billed and charged for the order. Apparently, she could save herself $0.50, or so.

So, we said "no problem", cancelled her original order, notified our warehouse, refunded her order, charged her again without freight, and then requested that our warehouse supervisor arrange for a FedEx pickup of her shipment using her shipper ID. These are things we do in the normal course of business every day, but for an order this small, we lose money. The total time these steps take is probably around 15-30 minutes, and the profit we see on an order like this is probably $2.00. After the order was shipped, we decided to change our policy and only allow customers to use their own shipper on orders over $50.00. Which brings us to last week....

Sue calls Wholesale Bingo Supplies again and is upset. She received her order and (I'm paraphrasing) "it was the worst bingo game paper she had ever seen". She had "handed the paper out to her players and they had trouble playing on it because it would bend as they played". Now, let me pause this story here and explain to you a little bit about the bingo paper we carry.

There are 3 major manufacturers of bingo game paper in the US that sell to the commercial gaming industry (casinos, tribal casinos, commercial bingo halls, charity bingos, etc.). All 3 manufacture high quality, commercial grade bingo paper, and Wholesale Bingo Supplies carries all 3 brands. So, we carry the highest quality bingo paper on the market.

Could someone still get some bad bingo paper from us? Sure. Manufacturing errors occur, shipping damage happens, etc., but most of the time, our customers are going to receive the highest quality in the industry. However, if someone receives a bad product from us, send it back, and we'll refund your money. Now, back to Sue.....

So, Sue says the bingo paper we sent her was horrible. She wants a full refund, but she's willing to order more paper (a different style), only she wants us to ship this bingo paper to her without any shipping charges because, "our shipping charges are too high". Did I mention we're in Michigan and she's in California, and that paper is a heavy product and costs a lot to ship, and that we get our shipping charges directly from UPS? Did I mention that Sue is also being extremely rude to some of the nicest ladies you'll ever meet in our front office?

Now, normally we'd give Sue a full refund if she ships the product back to us, but she used up a lot of it and is unwilling to pay to have it shipped back. So, at this point, with the complaining, the unrealistic expectations, the unrealistic idea of costs involved and the importance of her order, we basically tell Sue that we're sorry, we can't help her. That's not good enough. Sue wants to speak to the owners.

Did I mention that Sue has been complaining for about 1/2 hour on the phone?

At this point, I tell our front office to let Sue know that there's nothing more we can do and talking to the owners isn't going to help. Our front office apologizes again and Sue hangs up , but not before telling us that she's going to spread the word about our bad service and that she knows a lot of people in the bingo industry.

Good grief. I wish you the best Sue.

Greektown Casino to Expand

Greektown Casino is set to open its expanded gaming floor on Aug. 29, weeks earlier than originally anticipated.

The opening of the 25,000-square-foot expansion will add about 700 slot machines, bringing Greektown's total to 3,000. The accelerated opening brings the end of construction closer at Greektown, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May and is the last of Detroit's three casinos to open a permanent casino and resort-style hotel.

"Our contractors will now spend the next few months finishing hotel rooms, hallways, the two-story lobby, state-of-the-art meeting space and the rest of the hotel features," Greektown Casino CEO Craig Ghelfi said in a statement. "We continue to move briskly on our construction timeline, with our expanded gaming floor set to open in late August 2008 and the hotel planned to be ready in early 2009."

For more information, please see Nathan Hurst, Greektown Casino on a roll , The Detroit News, August 5, 2008.

Tribes Come Together To Stop Bingo Machines

The February voter referendum fight over four Southern California tribes' amended casino agreements split the state's gambling tribes in one of the costliest campaigns ever.

Only months later, the tribes on both sides of the fight have joined forces.

The tribes are trying to ban devices in some nontribal bingo halls that critics say are illegal slot machines. Legislation is in the works and could come to a vote before lawmakers adjourn for the year Aug. 31.

"This is not something that would have divided the tribes just because they had a difference of opinion on the referendums," said Doug Elmets, a spokesman for the United Auburn Indian Community.

For more information, please see Bingo halls' plan gets tribes back on same side , Inland Politics, August 3, 2008.

Electronic Bingo the Same As Slots? Some Say Yes.

For one thing, they know how to have "charity bingo" without the dog exploding.

With the appearance of a reported 18 (and growing) electronic bingo halls, Jasper has turned into tacky Tunica. The high-class veneer and grand facade opulence of Tunica's multimillion-dollar casinos have been dumbed down and given the Alabama treatment.

There are no fancy steakhouses inside these establishments, but you can have sad-looking hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, dancing too, so the religious can still play bingo without sin. Jesus loves bingo, but not on Sunday.

For more information, please see Ricky Thomason, What's electronic bingo? A slot machine by another name, Huntsville Times, August 3, 2008.