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Bingo Plus will close this month

The bingo hall operated at various locations for more than 13 years

For over 13 years Elliot Lake residents have enjoyed social gatherings while playing Bingo. But, as of Oct. 14, it will have heard its last call.

With disputes over new games and the addition of an afternoon, Marcel Leblanc has decided that he’s had enough.

“In May 2004, I got the Class A Bingo license that lets me hold at least three Bingos a week,” he said, explaining how he came about owning a Bingo hall. “In 2009, I was operating at the bottom of the bowling alley and I asked if I can hold an afternoon Bingo, but the city turned me down because of the location. They thought there wouldn’t be any parking.”

The licensing comes from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). They are gambling's governing body.

Ever since then, Leblanc’s idea to hold an afternoon Bingo lingered, which came about again when he decided to purchase the hall on Dunn Road that could hold more people.

“At this time, around 45 seniors come about to play,” he explained. “They come every night. It’s a social thing. It gets them out.”

Charities around town also benefit from the Bingo proceeds. To date, volunteers from 26 different charities attend Bingo nights on their scheduled date.

In 2009, the government changed its pooling system and the Charity Bingo Association was formed. According to Leblanc, the association’s president, Gerry Beaudry, hasn’t been cooperative with Leblanc’s new ideas on game improvements.

ElliotLakeToday.com reached out to the association's president Gerry Beaudry and, as of publication time, no answer was given.

Once again, after the move, Leblanc brought forth the idea to host an afternoon Bingo, something he said Bingo patrons have been asking for, but the decision has been stalled for over six months.

On Oct. 2, the executive of the association attended a meeting between the hall owners over other issues, and that’s when the decision was made to close the hall.

Leblanc and his wife were given a 10 day notice of closure by the association, said association administrator Donna Burrows

“We were in the middle of discussing program changes and addition of more events when the decision came,” she said. “It will be closing at the end of Oct. 13th’s event. The event will be hosted by the Deer Trail Curling Club and all of our progressive games will be must go’s that night.”

Leblanc told ElliotLakeToday Bingo Plus owes the association $30,000 on top of $22,000 to charities. This mistake was caused by a calculation error with one of the games. He said that hosting an afternoon Bingo would help alleviate that cost.

“I didn’t really get to do my presentation before Gerry emailed me and said 'no'. It’s not fair,” he said.

On top of this money owed, Leblanc said there is $8,000 in their marketing fund, which he said he wanted to use to for this weekend’s Thanksgiving Bingo.

“I wanted to do something for people coming here,” he explained. “So let’s say someone wins, then we would give a prize to the next person. Things to bring people in.”

What Leblanc said he wanted to change during Bingo, instead of six regular games, he wanted to have eight and he wanted to add more progressive games, which he said the association didn’t agree on.

“It’s not just the Bingo hall that’s suffering. It’s also the many charities,” he said. “They get 45 per cent of the profit and the 55 per cent stays at the hall.”

Burrows said the association was going to agree to an afternoon Bingo. 

But Leblanc said he wanted to start them now, not in January the association wanted.

“That’s not a good time. It’s right after Christmas,” he said. “No one would come. No one would benefit.”

“I don’t need this hassle,” he said. "I’d like to keep it but I have no support from the association.”



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