Video bingo causes stir in Pearl River

A proposed video bingo hall in Pearl River has some residents concerned about where their town is headed.

“I meet people every day who need help, wives who are in tears because their husband spent his paycheck at a casino in Mississippi or other places,” said Jim Baird, pastor at New Jerusalem Praise & Worship Center. “We shouldn’t allow gambling this close to home.”

Baird made his comments Tuesday during a public meeting to discuss plans at the old Po Boys restaurant on Louisiana Highway 41.

Bogalusa businessman Bernie Brennan of Regional Gaming Inc., wants to turn the place into a bingo hall, with live bingo in one half of the building and a video bingo parlor in the other half.

The company sets up an agreement with six local nonprofit organizations. Each group provides a representative to run up to 15 live sessions per month per agency. At the end of the month, 45 percent of the profits, or whatever is left over after payouts, is split among the nonprofits, and the city gets 10 percent.

Brennan has run a similar operation in Sun for about six months.

“There were a lot of objections at first,” said Sun Mayor Barbara Gibson. “But I’m for anything that will make the town money, and we’ve made about $13,000 to $15,000 per month.”

Gibson said there haven’t been any disturbances or problems at the bingo hall. The Sun Civic League, the fire department and the Lions Club are some of the agencies reaping the benefits of the setup.

Brennan outlined a number of security measures that would be in place, such as 24-hour video surveillance and an onsite security guard. No minors would be allowed in the video section and no one under 10 in the live bingo section, although the age restriction could be adjusted as necessary. The hall would also not be open on Sundays, and alcohol would not be served at any time.

Bingo is nothing new to Pearl River. The Pearl River Lions Club ran bingo sessions for nearly 30 years, and as resident Jane Christopher put it, “no one seemed to mind too much.”

The video component adds an extra wrinkle to the operation, though. While players can’t bet more than a $1 at a time, there is no limit on how long they can play the machines, making it possible for someone to “lose their shirt,” as another resident noted.

Another factor may be Brennan’s proposed location. While the area is zoned for commercial use, it does back up to a new residential area. Brennan is still in negotiations with the building’s owner and emphasized his desire to see the project meet with community approval.

“If the community wants this we will do everything we can to make it work,” he said. “If that building is not suitable, we’ll see if we can find a better location.”

Some residents voiced concerns the operation would open the door to larger issues, perhaps drawing an unsavory element or placing temptation in the path of those with gambling problems. Others, however, seemed to feel the benefit to nonprofit groups outweighed those issues. A similar proposal that came before the Board of Aldermen in March 2007 was rejected.

Residents who attended the meeting were asked to fill out a short questionnaire indicating whether of not they would support a project such as Brennan’s. The Board of Aldermen will now assess the results and is expected to make a decision during the next town meeting Aug. 12.