Bingo - as a funding source

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I would like to have opinions on whether or not Catholic schools should have Bingo to raise money. I am not giving my opinion/belief on the issue, because I do not want to bias any responses.

A Catholic School Mom
 
In our Diocese, the decision has been made for us by our Bishop - it is forbidden. Casinos and other gambling revenue are also forbidden.
 
when my former diocese, where bingo was the no. one supporter of Catholic schools, got a new bishop he strongly urged parishes to get rid of bingo, fall festivals, casino nights and other such money makers and instituted a strong tithing and stewardship program. Many parishes had bingo but had already closed their schools. I don’t think there is bingo in the diocese any more, but there are several parishes, including those in declining rust belt towns, with thriving schools financed entirely through tithing.

i think Catholics must learn stewardship as foundational to Christian attitudes on money, property, gifts, discipleship etc. and must pay their own way when it comes to building churches and schools. I also do not believe in a capital campaign relying on heavy hitters and institutional donors, the parish should have the church plant it can afford to build.
 
I think the Catholic Church should open a casino lol. I love gambling and what better way to lose money than if it is going to the church and then if I win money I get to keep it for a while and then lose it the next time so my donations to the church would be entertaining. By the way, I am fully aware of all the reasons why this is a bad idea and should never happen. However I often think when I go to Vegas occasionally to visit family that the money I am losing could have gone to so many other things.
 
I never knew Bingo was gambling – atleast not the Bingo Nights my grandmother used to go to. (no money involved). I guess if it’s something like $10 for the event which includes refreshments and food, maybe (not personal gambling money).
 
ald said:
I would like to have opinions on whether or not Catholic schools should have Bingo to raise money. I am not giving my opinion/belief on the issue, because I do not want to bias any responses.

A Catholic School Mom
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I would think it was wrong, singe Bingo is gambling, a sort of Lottery. This opinion is biased by seeing too many friends become compulsive gamblers and ruining their lives, as well as the lives of their families. 😦
 
CCC:
2413 Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.
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So it is not immoral in and of itself. Whether it is prudent is another question.

Scott
 
A lot of the older ladies in my home town play bingo and it’s not much for the chance for winning money over the chance to socialise with friends when they would othterwise be stuck in the house.

As for a church fund-raiser, if the idea of a cash prize is making it awkward, consider prize-bingo with something else to win such as donated items etc.
 
I started this thread and thank you for your opinions. Our parish and school have Bingo. It is required that parents either work Bingo or opt out by paying an additional $900 for the school year. The profit is very low and the parish/school depend on the dollars from those who opt out of Bingo. Many of the players are on fixed incomes and I know that some are patrons of the parish food pantry. I informed my pastor and the principal (a nun), but neither responded to my concerns.
 
When I was a radio news reporter, I did a multi-part series on gambling in my area. I visited Bingo halls, an off-track betting parlor, and a slots casino in West Virginia, and interviewed many others who supported and opposed gambling, especially slots.

As far as the Bingo went, one lady told me that she had no problem with the money she spent going to a good cause. That wasn’t at a church, however; that was at a volunteer fire company. However, even there others would point to someone who was playing beyond his or her means.

Total disclosure: I was a Bingo caller at my former parish. There also, people would be tossing down lots of money after the game ended on “tip jars”, or instant games. I would often shake my head at that.

I think it boils down to a simple case of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
 
My experience is that Church bingo etc quickly degenerate from an attempt to provide entertainment to an all out effort to maximize the take. And that means catering to the addict.

In this the church is no different from the cigarette company or beer company that makes its best profits off case sales - The one Beer to have when you are having more than one. - we don’t make that much profit on one.]

It once struck me that tobacco, alcohol, and gambling all have this same problem. All other products tend to have natural limits on how many units an individual can use. But the addict is the gold mine for these three.
 
I know of some parish volunteers who help with bingo nights at nursing homes. There’s no money involved and the prizes are nominal. The residents enjoy the bingo, and I suspect they would contintue to play even if they had to pay for the bingo cards. What’s the alternative–another night of television? The bingo games I’ve seen in church evnironments are more social than moneymaking.

If people really want to gamble, there are plenty of casinos. There is the state lottery. And if bingo is wrong, what can we see about state sponsorship of the lottery? Is the publisher clearing house drawing also evil? What about Deal or No Deal–another gambling game?

Bingo is really a poor substitute for good parish stewardship. It’s not much as a money maker. But I can’t see it as some big evil.
 
JimG said:
Bingo is really a poor substitute for good parish stewardship. It’s not much as a money maker. But I can’t see it as some big evil.
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Good point, Jim, as my current parish is getting by fine without it. And that’s taking into account that the church burned down three years ago. But it has nearly five times more families than the parish where I was a caller.
 
On a slightly different tack:

Our Parish has an annual raffle - tickets are $20 - the prizes range from trinkets all the way up to an all-inclusive 4 day vacation.

You’re spending $20 on a chance for something considerably more valuable - I guess you’d call this gambling as well.

(I don’t have a problem with it. Especially since my $20 dollars took my wife & I to Hawaii in 2000!)
 
Bingo is really a poor substitute for good parish stewardship. It’s not much as a money maker. But I can’t see it as some big evil.
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I agree with the above. Most of the time we would make more money if each worker gave $10 and stayed home instead. Bingo is not very man-power effective.

Remember that gambling isn’t a sin but can be an occasion for sin.

It does have one very big plus though. I have gotten to know more of the other parents in the school through bingo than any other way.
 
The problem with Bingo is that most parish priests are so hands off on it that it has very little socialization functions as well as virtually no spiritual functions. For instance at my parish the bingo participants sit on the same lunch tables that the kids which are of course, designed for minimal conversation. Everything is very silent while the numbers are called out and there is very little talking during the game.

A better solution would be to ask for a free will offering for the cards and give out donated items for the winner of each game. Its a good game for kids since it depends solely on luck which doesn’t put them at a disadvantage to adults who might beat them at strategy games.
 
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