Bingo!
Just because we passed that constitutional amendment to make bingo legal doesn't mean bingo is yet legal in Arkansas. The legislature must now create "enabling" legislation providing a process for licensing and regulation and such. Sen. Steve Farris of Malvern has put in a bill, SB 87. It's a lengthy sonofagaun, and, already, it has people concerned. It might be that the bill, as written, would permit a bunch of nonprofits to go together to form a kind of bingo cooperative at some hall, with their games run by out-of-state professional operators, and that this hall would become essentially a permanent gambling operation — the Humane Society getting two nights, some other worthy charity another night, etc. — producing income for professionals. Is that what we had in mind when we said yes to helping the fine little church groups and keeping the senior citizens active? This is not going to be as easy as it sounds.