The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-08-17
THE BINoo CONTROVERSY.

When Bingo was established Dare County, the revenue
to the county angle appealed to many people The county
needed money to pay its debts. license of $500 was
imposed. Hndsight shows it might have well been a
thousand fifteen hundred.
favored and those who opposed it. There
conscientious people who feared it as of evil
They had read of places where gambling and particularly
gambling for money had brought trail of evils behind
them to the detriment of the community.
During the first year of Bngo only applied for
license gave assurance that operate
business high plane. He said he wanted it to be
credit and attraction to the beach The Board of Com
missoners hoped would be- They pointed that would
be to the bngo operators to keep the Clean they
of the beaches Nobody asked that the game be played
for cash.
Difference the large group people looked
askance at Bngo who opposed altogether there
mutual agreement that Bngo would be without cash
for prizes and the agreement kept Everything worked
out fine The game thoroughly enjoyed Many people
who had opposed it on moral or religious grounds
seen with their families attending the games
There of many people who to the beach
who like to gamble in any way shape form They
to the beach to have good time; they depart with
responsibilities following them problems arise later it
is the homefolks who have to contend with them.
There are now three Bngo operators Mays Head Two
considerable money IN Dare County They are large tax
payers is to their interest well the general public
to that Bngo well anything else operated
in a to avoid headaches tomorrow
lot of local sentiment for cash Bngo has been de-
veloped The been used that those who win
has found favor in Maneo This claim readily exploded
upon examination of the facts In the first place. it is
further and greater gains And finally many of these
all and beside The usual outcome of sustained gam
bling finds losers greatly outnumbering the winners Of all
those who play Bngp small percentage reside in Dare
County, Reasonable estimates of the bingo play
who reside nearby reveals bare per cent of the
players who flock each night to the bngo tables In other
words 80 cent of those who play bngo outsiders
the beach for brief visit Ninety per cent of the winnings
will therefore go into the hands of people only for
short stay by chance of these people keep part
of their winnings, the further prospect that they will
carry the money away.S< -a%F~g.
The policy followed by the Commissioners worked out
satisfactorily for two seasons though effort made
last year to work up cash bngo What worked good for
two considered safe to follow this time Need
less to say regardless of the plan followed there will
opposing viewpoints Time will tell whose judgment
worked to best advantage for the general public that
is what should count, rather than the profit of few
individuals. @ q
This of course should not be decided anyones
opinion but its merits The issue at law involved is the
breaking of contract But the important issue is economic
and moral WELL and the public should judge not
hearsay partisanshp because they happen to Like
dislike connected with bngo The a-imporant
question is the establishment of definite policy and the
sticking to it.
Shall the beach be dead door-naiI while advertising
for people to for fun? And shall not definite plan
be followed to leave people and the county with
as few problems possible at the end of the
those who to pick the of the crop have departed
and forgotten us?