HOUSE MEMORIAL 114

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Debbie A. Rodella

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GAMING CONTROL BOARD TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS LICENSED TO OFFER BINGO OR RAFFLES PURSUANT TO THE BINGO AND RAFFLE ACT TO REVIEW RULES THAT IMPEDE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS FROM OPERATING PROFITABLE BINGO GAMES AND DEVELOP RULES THAT ALLOW THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY.

     WHEREAS, churches and other religious organizations have offered bingo and raffles to parishioners and members for many years; and

     WHEREAS, with the expansion of gaming in New Mexico, many small bingo games have lost their participants to other venues for gaming or bingo; and

     WHEREAS, many churches and religious organizations rely on the funds generated by bingo games, and many older people view bingo at their church or church auxiliary as an important social activity; and

     WHEREAS, many parishioners and members of churches or religious organizations enjoy playing bingo in a familiar location surrounded by friends and other people familiar to them; and

     WHEREAS, bingo is an important social activity for many people, including many elderly people; and

     WHEREAS, the regulation of the Bingo and Raffle Act was relocated in 2005 from the regulation and licensing department to the gaming control board to consolidate the regulation of gaming in one agency and to provide greater oversight of the organizations that are licensed pursuant to the Bingo and Raffle Act; and

     WHEREAS, the new regulatory system has made it more difficult for some small bingo operations to remain viable;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the gaming control board be requested to initiate and engage in discussions with churches or other religious organizations that are licensed to conduct bingo games pursuant to the Bingo and Raffle Act, to review rules that impede those organizations from operating profitable bingo games and to develop rules that allow those organizations to continue to operate successfully; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the gaming control board.

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