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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 3, 2005 Seniors regret bingo loss Wal-Mart policy change ends Talent’s Wednesday games By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune For the past 10 years, bingo brought Chris Amorelli to the Talent Wal-Mart. The 65-year-old Ashland resident joined about 35 other players in the store’s snack bar every Wednesday hoping to win a token prize that Wal-Mart provided. Whether a roll of paper towels or a toaster was at stake, the free game represented a chance to socialize, she said. But a corporate crack-down on gambling has silenced bingo callers at Wal-Mart stores across the country. Hoping to avoid possible violations of state and local gaming laws, Wal-Mart this week announced the end of bingo, said Christi Gallagher, spokeswoman at the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Because each state’s rules on gambling are slightly different, Wal-Mart officials felt the company was unable to be universally compliant while offering bingo games, she said. However, the games are not against Oregon law, said Victoria Cox, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Justice. Bingo games that collect funds for charities must be licensed with the state. But as long as no money changes hands, bingo is not considered gambling, Cox said, adding that she could, nevertheless, understand Wal-Mart’s decision. Advertisement "I can see where it is ... a dicey area." Amorelli said she hoped the store might reconsider if enough seniors put up a fuss. For some of the participants, it was their only chance to get out and socialize for the week, she said. "Everybody was extremely disappointed," she said. Some, like Jack and Jeannie Fuller of Phoenix, have been playing since the games started up, shortly after Wal-Mart opened its doors in Talent in 1994. Medford’s Crater Lake Highway store also hosted bingo, a store employee said. Many other Wal-Mart locations across the country hosted bingo games, most initiated by seniors who socialized in the stores’ snack bars. Wal-Mart did not sponsor the games, but managers allowed them to be played, Gallagher said. It isn’t the first time Wal-Mart bingo games have been shut down. The Pennsylvania legislature in 2002 decided that Wal-Mart could no longer host free bingo. New York stores in April this year also folded their games, according to a story in the Journal News. The Talent Wal-Mart plans to offer a social day for seniors on Wednesdays to replace their bingo, said Jim Maynard, a store manager. Amorelli said she believed the bingo shutdown wouldn’t affect seniors’ inclination to shop at Wal-Mart. "We have a lot of fun," Amorelli said. "And it’s just a shame." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail Seniors regret bingo loss ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers dvd-r helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Home Equity Loans Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Canadian Pharmacy Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Air Purifiers Advertisement s