Rural bingo lovers relieved their 'lifeline' has been saved
Louise Walsh
A rural community is 'breathing a sigh of relief' today that the threat hanging over their 50 year old bingo 'lifeline' has been lifted
Residents living near Gibbstown, Co. Meath had feared that both their weekly bingo and their drive-in-bingo which attracts crowds of up to 1,000 would have to be stopped because of new gambling laws which they believed would slash prize funds.
However all parties in the Dail passed a Sinn Fein amendment to the Gaming and Lotteries Bill which increases the cap on prize money given out by bingo operators from 50 to 75%
The original proposals led to protests by bingo lovers outside the Dail.
The new bill will also enable the small bingo hall to get a licence more easily, according to chairman of the Gibbstown Hall Committee John O'Dwyer.
Gibbstown drive-in-bingo attracts up to 1000 people when it's held five times a year with a cash fund of up to €15,000 but a smaller weekly bingo with a fund of up to €5,000 is held every Sunday night in the hall.
Gibbstown Hall Committee chair John O'Dwyer.
"We are all delighted here now that the threat has been lifted, the bingo is a lifeline to many in the rural community and their only social outlet," he said.
"This bingo has been running every Sunday night in the community since 1966 and the drive-in bingo, which is held five times a year was started in 1987.
"This new bill also allows bingo halls to get a licence from the local Superintendent that lasts a year - for bingos with a prize fund of €5,000. Before this, a licence from the Superintendent was only for a one day event.
"All staff here are voluntary and all proceeds of the bingo after prizes and electricity and heat go into the charity fund. We even donated part of the proceeds to the church for a system so that Mass could be broadcast.
"Most bingos are run in good faith and if we didn't run a good and fair bingo, people would leave. So we are self-regulating from that point of view.
"We had 700 people at our last drive-in bingo in October but last Sunday night, there were only 55 people at the weekly bingo because of the cold weather and the lead in to Christmas. But this is similar to bingos all over the country.
"We are filling a void that the Government aren't filling. People come here for two hours on a Sunday night and for some that's their only social outlet for the week.