What Is Amendment C? Well, It Isn’t Your Grandma’s Bingo

Written By Ian St. Clair on 10/08/2020Last Updated on January 16, 2021

Playing is something that Colorado residents who are of voting age are used to.

They may not be aware of the numerous benefits that games bring to their community.

This category also includes rewards.

This situation is affected by the introduction of Amendment 100.

Starting this Friday, the general election ballot will be shipped to voters, and it may contain the legal content that is allowed to be published.

In November of last year, Proposition DD was granted approval by voters, paving the way for the introduction of live sports betting in Colorado starting from May 1.

Amendment 100

What exactly does Amendment 100 entail?

The Charitable Bingo and Raffles Amendment brings about alterations to certain Colorado laws that regulate charitable games.

If approved by a minimum of 55% of the voters, Amendment 100 would bring forth the following alterations, as per Ballotpedia.

The proposed legislation would reduce the minimum duration for charitable organizations to obtain a gaming license from five to three years. Additionally, the amendment would permit charitable institutions to employ managers and users of gaming routines, as long as their remuneration does not exceed the minimum wage. Currently, the law allows anyone participating in charitable gambling activities to be a volunteer for the organization.

What makes Amendment 100 significant?

What is it about games and raffles that capture the attention of ordinary voters?

In an interview with PlayinColorado, Corky Kyle, the Executive Vice President of the Colorado Charitable Bingo Association, stated

They are children, possibly attending a large school, and they might also be involved in a team or soccer. The individuals who take the initiative to finance these activities are the main supporters. Consequently, the activities that are funded through playing prizes benefit the neighborhood. Laradon House, a service managed by the Elks, teaches people with developmental disabilities how to live independently, leave their homes, and secure employment. VFWs host the American and engage in gaming while providing assistance to troops and military personnel. Therefore, whatever the lottery does impacts the community in some way.

Only when has Colorado’s ample game law changed.

According to Kyle, the Colorado constitution implemented the bingo and raffle section 62 years ago. Ballotpedia states that Colorado Measure 4, a citizen initiative, modified the constitution to permit charitable organizations to conduct charitable gaming activities such as lotto, bingo, and raffles.

Ever since the legislation was passed in 1958, there has been a singular change. The inclusion of electronic equipment became possible due to that specific modification.

As Kyle said,

It is evident that there have been significant changes in the past 62 instances. In Colorado, the gaming industry has garnered considerable attention. There are now more opportunities available for individuals who enjoy sports, betting, and related activities. To progress and ensure transparency in supporting non-profit organizations and their programming funding methods, certain modifications need to be implemented for bingo.

Rich Lemon, the president of the Colorado Charitable Bingo Association and the general manager of Rocky Mountain Bingo Supply, sees Amendment 100 as a form of house cleaning.

In my opinion, & is simply modernizing and organizing the chaos. It has been this way since changes were made, and I understand why. It is a challenging task to complete and we have been working on it for a while now. We cannot predict what will happen in a year, so it is important to proceed with caution. Two-thirds of the House and Senate are currently voting in favor of us and the , who have made significant progress. We also need 55% of the vote, which adds to the workload. & has successfully assembled a large group of individuals who are assisting us in this industry. However, if this plan fails, the consequences could be severe. On the other hand, if it succeeds, it has the potential to bring great success to our business.

The Benefits of Amendment 100

Kyle and Lemon may witness a growth in gambling within the state, thanks to the reduction of the time period from five to three years and the provision of minimum wage payment to participants.

According to The Denver Channel, Colorado once had approximately 49 bingo halls that generated around $230 million in annual revenue. However, the number of bingo halls in the state has drastically decreased, with only 11 remaining and generating approximately $22 million per year.

Kyle asserts:

There are only 800 owners for the position, and there are almost 9,000 non-profits involved. Please explain to me what is wrong with that picture. That and are inappropriate. The reason for this is its restrictiveness. If non-profits were aware of the opportunities provided by gambling and raffles, I believe many of them would take advantage of them. However, we must adapt to the changing times. We are reducing the time frame from five days to three times due to this. The second issue is the possibility of compensating members and staff for their time. This is within the control of the teams; they are simply trying to make it more accessible and are free to choose their own actions.

eliminating new restrictions

If Amendment C is approved by voters, the lifted restrictions could potentially continue to be in effect.

What happened?

Lemon remarked:

Participating in playing for three years, rather than just five times, increases the potential pool of non-profit organizations. Typically, non-profit businesses fail to survive for five decades and often declare bankruptcy before reaching that milestone. We chose the three-year duration to ensure longevity while also adhering to the regulations set by the Colorado Gaming Association. Additionally, allowing individuals who may not be registered members of the organization to work proves advantageous. For instance, bingo hall patrons can have someone unfamiliar take their calls. Moreover, a larger pool of participants may prevent certain individuals from entering gambling immediately due to sudden illnesses. All these factors contribute to a significant increase in sales.

There is no opposition to Amendment C.

In this case, it is of utmost importance to bear in mind that all the proceeds generated from gaming and transactions are directed towards non-profit organizations.

Regardless of whether they belong to your son’s group, a rope or sports team, Elks Lodge, or the VFW, any financial contribution benefits these organizations.

Kyle wastes no time in highlighting that Amendment C is uncontested.

Your voting book, which explains the amendment, still contains errors and nonsensical information. Kyle is eagerly waiting to address them.

as he put it:

Some people believe that Bingo is an extra source of income, but this is a misconception. I have heard this misconception a few times. In reality, Bingo is entirely funded by registration fees and monthly fees that go directly to the secretary of state and their company. Therefore, there is no budget allocation or individual tax that supports Bingo in the state budget. This is the same situation for all other authorities and specific groups that receive financial support, such as casinos, off-track betting, and sports betting. Consequently, there is no downside or additional income from Bingo.

We have also been informed that this could potentially benefit gaming experts. It is important to note that currently, only non-profit organizations are eligible for a betting license in Colorado. Since bingo is rarely organized by non-profit companies, individuals who wish to play and make a living from it are unable to do so. However, there is a misconception that allowing for-profit bingo could jeopardize the industry by enhancing its professionalism. One report suggests there might be some impact, but the details are unclear.

2020 growth of Colorado playing

Amendment C will make bingo and lottery games accessible by 2020, which could have a positive impact on the community by expanding the number of non-profit organizations that can utilize lotteries to generate funds.

While playing is a widespread activity, many individuals remain unaware of its potential to generate funds for community assistance.

Kyle and Lemon suggest that voters will likely be conscious of the potential improvement that Amendment C may bring to the river.

Kyle remarked:

Many individuals wear bright smiles as they reminisce about their participation in childhood bingo raffles. It is crucial to note that gambling auctions are highly popular in Colorado due to the support they provide to nonprofit organizations, software, and charities.

Lemon was incorporated:

Running these activities and holding auctions with all individuals can be challenging, making it difficult to pay workers at least minimum wage. However, if we are able to do so, it could increase the frequency of classes and reduce the frequency of difficulties. Our goal is to convert income into non-profits.