Stop! Gambling board says no more bingo

THE KwaZulu-Natal Gambling Board has called a halt to the much-loved South Coast institution of social bingo – and hundreds of players, most of them retired folk, are absolutely distraught.

You can hardly call it gambling. Throughout the South Coast social groups, sports clubs, retirement homes and even churches run regular bingo sessions for their members. According to people who run them the outlay for someone taking part is minimal, perhaps R10 or R20 a session, and winnings can vary between R50 and, an absolute maximum of R500. As for the profits, it appears that there are none. People we spoke to say what comes in, money-wise, goes out as winnings.

Winnings, though, are only of secondary importance. As the various bingo organisers point out, the social benefits are what social bingo is really all about. There are many fairly housebound people to whom the weekly social bingo session is a lifeline. Social is the operative word. The bingo players look forward to a fun-filled afternoon, playing a a game they love, chatting to friends and socialising over a cup of tea. To many it is an excuse to get out and about and a way of forging lasting friendships. To some, bingo sessions are their only outings.

Now, although some have been running for nearly 20 years, the groups have been told to stop operating.

“They are gunning for us pensioners. They see the elderly as an easy target. For so many lonely people, their bingo sessions are the highlight of the week,” said one horrified bingo fan.

Many of the bingo players are puzzled about what triggered the board’s action and why bingo groups suddenly started receiving letters ordering them to cease operating.

“And how did they know how to find the different groups? That’s the million dollar question,” said one bingo player.

The South Coast Herald tried to contact the board but was unable to obtain any comment. However, bingo operators are apparently negotiating with the board.

So far, though, as far as the board is concerned, playing bingo for any sort of monetary reward is a complete ‘no no’, they say.

“My friends and I love playing bingo but we can’t afford to drive to a casino or pay to play at a licensed bingo hall. Although we don’t stand a chance of winning much, playing social bingo for a bit of a financial windfall adds to the fun. Playing for some random prizes wouldn’t be the same, ” said one sad bingo fan.

One elderly bingo player remembered a more repressive era when religious beliefs were foisted on people. During that time games of chance were banned for religious reasons.

“We thought the new regime would be more tolerant towards us elderly people,” she said.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining and pensioners have, on the whole, developed excellent senses of humour over the years. One pensioner had a chuckle over a likely scenario – a police bust at a church hall or bowling club and gaggles of handcuffed pensioners being thrown into a police van. For playing social bingo?
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