GAMBLING ALREADY POPULAR PURSUIT; BINGO, LOTTERY GENERATE THOUSANDS IN REGION

Since the passage last fall of riverboat gaming in Missouri, discussion of state-sponsored gambling typically evokes the image of paddlewheelers roving the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

But thousands of dollars are spent daily in Cape Girardeau on the state's two other types of legal gambling.

In the fiscal year that ended June 30, total lottery sales were close to $2.5 million in Cape Girardeau County an average of almost $9,000 a day.

And on almost any given night, 200-300 people spend an average of $30 each in hopes of scoring bingo payouts worth thousands of dollars.

Bingo revenues by county were unavailable from the Missouri Department of Revenue, but based on state averages, bingo enthusiasts annually spend upwards of $100,000 in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Statewide, bingo revenue topped $6 million last year.

Jim Gosche of the Kiwanis Club said that Monday night bingo at the A.C. Brase Arena Building in Cape Girardeau draws about 340 people each week.

"People will generally spend, on the average, about $30," Gosche said. "The majority of customers play all over and come from all over.

"There are some who win, and a lot who don't, but I think it's a good four-hour pastime for people."

Ray Drury, secretary for the Elks Lodge in Cape Girardeau, said that organization conducts bingo on Wednesday nights.

"We average somewhere around 180 people a night, and their average spending on bingo is about $21.50," Drury said.

Instant, "pull-tab" games available at bingo account for about another $10 in spending, he said.

In Jackson, the Easter Seals Society and the American Legion alternate Thursday bingo games at the Knights of Columbus hall.

"We average about 200 people a night," said director Chuck Martin. "Every night probably is a little different for us.

"It's more of a mix of people who come just for the social aspect. They may spend $12 to $20. And then we have the serious people who literally spend hundreds."

Martin said there are so many civic and charitable organizations conducting bingo games in Cape Girardeau that the market is nearly saturated.

"There really aren't thousands of people playing bingo here," he said. "It's more a hard-core contingent of 300 to 400 people who play throughout the area."

On Tuesday night, many of those die-hards can be found at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. Edwin "Pete" Rhodes helps run bingo for the VFW.

He said that, typically, about 215 people play each week. "The average person spends, just on bingo, $21 or $22," Rhodes said. "I would say that on the average, they spend another $20 on pull tabs."

Kay Dinolfo, a public affairs specialist for the Missouri Department of Revenue, said bingo is a heavily regulated industry that requires a state license. Also, all bingo profits must go to charity.

Licensing fees total $100 annually for organizations and $500 annually for distributors and manufacturers of bingo equipment. And 2.5 percent of gross receipts from bingo goes to the state's education fund.

Gosche said that although revenues in a given bingo night might exceed $8,000 or $9,000, there isn't a whole lot of profit.

"We must pay out $3,600 in winnings a night, regardless if one person shows up or 500 show up," he said. "There are a lot of other expenses, from the cost of pull tabs, rent, a security officer..."

Gosche said it takes 17 people to run bingo for the Kiwanis Club, and at five hours each, the donation in service hours is significant.

The Kiwanis donate most of their proceeds to programs that benefit youth in the community. Last year, the civic club provided $18,000 in scholarships to area students.

The Elks spend a large percentage of their bingo revenue providing eyeglasses to children who can't afford them. The Knights of Columbus and Eagles club also conduct bingo to finance various charities.

Lottery proceeds, though, are used primarily for education.

Susan Goedde of the state's lottery commission said that last year, the lottery proceeds for education amounted to $72 million, or about 2 percent of the total education budget.

The figure could increase this year with the passage of a law that mandates all lottery revenue after pay-outs for winners must go to education. Previously, some of the money was used for various mental health agencies.

The majority of lottery revenue about 53 percent is paid out to players. The next largest chunk of goes toward education, 11 percent pays administrative costs, and 6 percent goes to retailers for incentives and bonuses.

Out of the $2.5 million in lottery sales in Cape Girardeau County last year, $1.5 million was generated by instant "scratch-off" games. The total for the Lotto, Powerball, Pick 3, and SuperCash games was $791,000.

Per capital lottery sales in Cape Girardeau County, at $41.75, is lower than many counties in the state. For example, per capita sales for Scott County were $47.46; Dunklin County, $42.23; St. Francois County, $50.94; Jefferson County, $58.04; and Cole County, $63.45.