We are happy to announce that what we have believed and have stated, that Bingo is 100% legal as we play it in BHP, is true and has been confirmed by the FMO attorney in Tallahassee. As long as we continue to follow the current guidelines for HOA not-for-profits outlined in Florida’s gambling statute 849, we can resume play this Monday, May 2. This is the problem with rumors and assumptions: even though we knew we were legal, there were residents in the park who were insisting that we had a license/certificate to play Bingo. We do NOT have a license nor do we need one. We have never had a license or certificate. Unfortunately, a few people believed these rumors and demanded to see our certificate. Since we didn’t have one, we decided to cancel until we could speak to legal counsel.
As far as Show Me the Money, our attorney is researching it for us. He believes that we are okay, but as it is too new to be mentioned by name in the current statutes and no member of any club has ever challenged it in court, there is no precedent. As soon as a determination is made, we will respond accordingly and let everyone know what the outcome is. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.