Video bingo parlors see million-dollar quarter
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HAMMOND — The city’s three video bingo parlors took in more than $1.1 million during the second quarter of 2008, according to estimates based on city tax collections released this week.
The parlors paid the city a total of $228,596 for games played from April through June, according to tax receipts.
Each quarter, the parlors pay the city a 20 percent tax on their net win, which is how much money they take in minus payouts to winners.
This is the first reporting since the city’s third parlor opened on May 9. The collections are down by $40,000 over the previous quarter, but are slightly higher than past quarters.
This seventh public reporting of video bingo collections since the first two parlors, Cypress Palace Bingo and Hammond Bingo Palace, opened in October 2006 brings city tax collections on the games to more than $1.5 million.
The advent of the third parlor, Bingo Alley, reignited the controversy surrounding video bingo in the city and sparked a voter petition drive to place a video bingo ban proposition on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.
The City Council plans to hold a public hearing Sept. 16 on whether to call the video bingo ban election, as outlined in the city’s Home Rule Charter.
Video bingo is much like video poker in that users insert money into machines to play the games.
However, video bingo machines are used by sponsoring charities for fundraising purposes and are regulated under state laws other than those controlling video poker.
The parlors paid the city a total of $228,596 for games played from April through June, according to tax receipts.
Each quarter, the parlors pay the city a 20 percent tax on their net win, which is how much money they take in minus payouts to winners.
This is the first reporting since the city’s third parlor opened on May 9. The collections are down by $40,000 over the previous quarter, but are slightly higher than past quarters.
This seventh public reporting of video bingo collections since the first two parlors, Cypress Palace Bingo and Hammond Bingo Palace, opened in October 2006 brings city tax collections on the games to more than $1.5 million.
The advent of the third parlor, Bingo Alley, reignited the controversy surrounding video bingo in the city and sparked a voter petition drive to place a video bingo ban proposition on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.
The City Council plans to hold a public hearing Sept. 16 on whether to call the video bingo ban election, as outlined in the city’s Home Rule Charter.
Video bingo is much like video poker in that users insert money into machines to play the games.
However, video bingo machines are used by sponsoring charities for fundraising purposes and are regulated under state laws other than those controlling video poker.
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