Bingo!
Despite more casinos, local players see bright future

Evelyn Admenta, Kevin Kerley, Joanne Johnson and Mildred Frank play Bingo at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Monday night. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

Monika Sanchez, the Bingo caller, sets up the balls for a game of Bonanza on Monday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

GALLUP — For more than two decades, Mary Sandoval has been going to the weekly bingo games hosted by the Knights of Columbus.

She only lives about three blocks from the K of C hall where the games are held and has been a bingo fan for more than 50 years.

But organization officials have to wonder if she will continue coming to the bingo parlor when the Navajo Nation opens up its own bingo parlor and casino on the east side of Gallup next year.

“It’s going to hurt us,” said Andy Diaz, who runs the bingo games for the Knights, adding that he has to wonder if the Gallup group will be able to compete with the tribe’s casino operation when other Knights of Columbus organizations throughout the state have shut down their operations when casinos moved into their areas.

Some, like Sandoval, said before the action began Monday night that they would probably visit the tribal casino.

“I’ll go if they have a bus to take me,” Sandoval said.

That may be a no-brainer since Sky City — located 80 miles away — already sends buses for senior citizens and others in the Gallup area on an almost daily basis. While tribal gaming officials have not mentioned buses, if it takes buses to get out the crowd, it’s likely to set up a way for area residents to get to the casino to play.

Others last night said the Knights have nothing to worry about since the Navajo Nation has been talking for years about setting up a casino and they still have not gotten the go-ahead from the Navajo Nation Council to turn over one blade of grass to build the first one.

But Diaz and others involved in local bingo parlors say it is only a matter of time.

Diaz said when the tribe does open up its casino, local bingo operators will not be able to compete because economics and state law will not allow the nonprofit organizations to pay out anywhere near what the tribal casino will be able to offer. State law sets a maximum prize of $1,500 but with only between 80 to 110 showing up nightly, the most the Knights have been able to offer was a $500 top prize.

This wasn’t the way it was in the beginning when the Knights and other nonprofits attracted hundreds of people to the games on a nightly basis.

But when Sky City and other area casinos began providing free bus rides — and free gaming tokens — some 10 years ago to seniors and others, the local bingo parlors saw their numbers begin dwindling.

Angelo DiPaolo, principal at Gallup Catholic High School, said the same thing happened at the various bingo operations sponsored by the Catholic schools in the area.
“I am very concerned about the tribal gaming because it will have an impact on all of the local school bingo parlors,” he said.

He’s hoping, however, that people who have been going to the bingo games here for decades will continue to be loyal and will continue to support the local games.

Diaz feels the same way since the profits from the nonprofit bingo games goes to help provide services to the local community.

The ones sponsored by the schools goes into a fund to help pay expenses at the local Catholic schools. Without that revenue, the Gallup diocese would have to seek additional funds from other sources or raise tuitions.

As for the Knights operation, Diaz said any profits go to help local programs that serve the handicapped. “We have been able to help out seven area programs that provide services for the handicapped,” he said.

But one area organization that is allowed to provide even more extensive gaming operations like slot machines and video poker isn’t worried.

Joe DeLaO, exalted leader of the local Elks Club, said he didn’t think the tribal gaming casino would hurt his organization since the only ones who are allowed under state law to use the facility are its members.

“We’re not open to the general public,” he said, pointing out that Elks Clubs located in other parts of the state within driving distance of casinos are thriving.