Play Meter

Gambling is what it is K Valerie Cognevich Editor PLAY METER ids are great, aren't they? Who else would have the nerve to volunteer you for just about anything, assume you'll show up on time, but forget to tell you about it? Obviously, I know from whence I speak! I drove my son Nick and his friend Colin over to Colin's house last Friday night. I dropped them off about quarter to seven. As Nick slammed his door he yelled, "By the way, I told them you'd work bingo tonight. Be there at 7:00." I fumed all the way there since I didn't even have a chance to go home and leave a note for my hubby. But once I got there I started thinking a lot about gambling. Gambling? Didn't you say you were going to work the bingo at school? That's my point exactly. It seems that in this day and age when gambling is the hottest topic since O.J. was acquitted, no one adds church bingos into the gambling stew. Fellow Louisianian David Goudeau in a guest commentary this month poses the question: "Is the church bingo fundraiser wrong? You be the judge, but don't for a moment deny that it's gambling." Here I was at a church bingo, thinking of all the derogatory comments I'd heard about how gambling is wrong, immoral, preys on the innocents, etc. In fact, just a few days earlier The New York Times had an article with a blazing headline, "Gambling Fuels Louisiana Voter Anger," and added that there was a perception that the state has become one big, corrupt casino. Gambling has become a scorching campaign issue in the state with gubernatorial candidates swearing not to take a single dime in campaign contributions from anyone who has anything to do with gambling. I wonder if that would include churches ... hum. Back to working the bingo at the church. I found myself watching the players with fascination. Most were elderly-probably living on a fixed income-the ones gambling foes cite most often as the innocent victims when they are rallying against gambling. One particular lady caught my attention. She looked to be well into her 80s. She began her night with 12 cards, costing $12; four raffle tickets at $1 ; another $ 5 for five early bird paper games; $3 for three middle bird paper games; $5 for five late bird games; $2 for two bag games; and $5 on pull-tabs (yep, even pull-tabs or cheny bells are legal at church!). She did not walk away a winner. This lady forked out $33, not to men8 tion the refreshments she bought during the evening. So what's my point? It's not that she, and all the others like her, shouldn't have been there. The point is that everyone in that room was gambling. They were also having fun sponsored and highly endorsed by the church. Isn't it ironic that it's usually the churches vigorously fighting any introduction of gambling into the state? The bingo players had a chance to win a few dollars, while the school shared in the proceeds to help fund computers or something. Our office used to have a football pool. Each week we'd watch the games hoping to be the winner of the $40 or so. Seeing that last game pull you ahead of the next guy was a thrill. Was putting up $3 for a chance to win $40 wrong? Not necessarily, but it was gambling, just like bingo. And what about the race tracks where people eagerly cheer on their favorite steed or dog, knowing a first place win will put them in the dough? Wrong? You answer that one for yourself. But remember that they are highly endorsed by your community to fund various projects. No matter how we justify the end, gambling is gambling. Gambling can help the church buy their computers or help Joe Citizen have some fun. Gambling has been discussed in a variety of states in a variety of forms. Whether it's a lottery, video poker, casinos, riverboats, or Indian casinos, the issue is whether there's a form of gambling that will sit well with the majority, but not offend anyone. In Louisiana it's OK to gamble on a moving vessel but not if that vessel is docked. In Mississippi, the casinos have to be built on water, and it's called dockside gambling. Now I ask you, what justifies these rules? Gambling didn't suddenly appear. It's been around since David and Goliath. Try to convince me there wasn't a guy taking bets on the outcome! What's changed, however, is the perception of what it's doing to society and how much of the profits are lining politician's pockets. But sadly, it's operators like David Goudeau who bear the brunt of the hostility. He hasn't done anything wrong, his money isn't tainted, and he is an upstanding law abiding citizen being maliciously categorized. Prohibition was a massive effort to outlaw drinking. It was a futile attempt to dictate morals. It certainly didn't stop people from drinking, it only forced them to find other ways to get the beverages they wanted. I'd imagine some who didn't even drink in the first place wanted to simply because they were being told they couldn't! Prohibition did prove that people can be very resourceful in finding ways around a very poorly thought out law. Webster's dictionary defines gambling like this: to bet on an uncertain outcome, an element of risk. This sounds like life to me. A NOVEMBER 1995