BINGO OPERATORS ANTICIPATE LESS PAPERWORK UNDER NEW REGULATOR

A new law placing bingo under the Missouri Gaming Commission doesn't bother workers involved in some of the Cape Girardeau area games.

They like the new law, which reduces the amount of paperwork they have to do to account for the receipts and taxes from bingo games.

"I really don't know yet how the new regulations will affect our bingo," said Edwin "Pete" Rhodes, who works the games at both the VFW Post 3838 and the Elks Lodge 639 in Cape Girardeau. "The new taxes go into effect on Jan. 1.

"After that, we will pay taxes directly to the supplier on our bingo sheets and pull tabs. This will take a lot of the paperwork off the hands of the managers of the clubs sponsoring bingo," Rhodes said.

It takes one man a whole day each month to do the paperwork now, Rhodes said. Tracking the sales and figuring the taxes on the bingo receipts and pull tabs is a tedious and time-consuming process.

Also after Jan. 1, the 2.5 percent tax on bingo receipts will be replaced with a tax on bingo cards.

Stan Turner, VFW bingo chairman who also helps during the game at the Elks Lodge, said working under the Gaming Commission not only will eliminate most paperwork, it might reduce bingo taxes.

Turner said tracking serial numbers on pull tabs is one of most tedious tasks suppliers have to perform. Not only will that burden be done away with, the state also will eliminate a $10 stamp placed on each box of 2,400 pull tabs.

Tom Reinagel, bingo chairman for the Notre Dame Home & School Association, also looks forward to the change. "It's going to be much easier," he said. "The paperwork was a nightmare."

An informational meeting on the new bingo laws will be held Aug. 31 through Sept. 1 at Lake of Ozarks.

To comply with the new rules, each organization must send the names and Social Security numbers of their officers and the person who handles the money into the Gaming Commission.

Turner said the Gaming Commission is trying to spread out the license renewal dates so they aren't all due at the same time. This will give the commission a chance to do a thorough investigation of the applicants. Anyone convicted of a felony is prohibited from involvement with local bingo games.

Rhodes said almost all bingo game sponsors comply with the rules. "Bingo -- it's fun," he said. "It's a game they don't want to lose."

Bingo also is a large contributor to charities in the area. Rhodes estimated that the VFW Post 3838 donates about $2,000 monthly to different causes. "We don't hardly turn anybody down on a good cause," he said.