(WAVE/WKYT) – Charitable gaming has only grown in the past few years, becoming a tool for non-profits to raise more money for their causes.
Now, a bill that puts more protections in place for those organizations, as well as sports betting and horse racing, is making its way through the Kentucky State House.
Non-profit leaders who use charitable gaming tell WAVE that right now, there is a lot of confusion in the industry about certain rules and regulations.
House Bill 904 would formally regulate fantasy contests and protect the organizations involved.
“Charitable gaming’s been around for many, many years, but the difference is, a few years ago, they came out with these newer, more modern games, and people absolutely love them,” said Mike Mulrooney, founder of Shirley’s Way. “They’re a good fit in local bars and restaurants.”
If you go to a local dive bar like New View on Outer Loop, you might see gaming machines.
What you might not know is those machines are helping raise money for non-profits, like Shirley’s Way and I Would Rather Be Reading.
“When we first started thirteen years ago, all we could really afford is giving away about a 200 to 300 dollar gas card to help people get to their treatments. Now, with charitable gaming, we’re paying a couple thousand dollars per patient,” said Mulrooney.
“Charitable gaming comes down to helping us keep the lights on and the doors open and our staff paid,” said Allison Ogle, co-founder of I Would Rather Be Reading.
But, regulations around charitable gaming in Kentucky haven’t always been clear.
H.B. 904 establishes clear guidelines, like where gaming machines are allowed, protocol for violations, and giving licensing powers back to organizations themselves.
“It provides us protections we haven’t had in the past,” said Ogle.
And, the bill doesn’t just impact charitable gaming, but horse racing and sports betting, too, raising the minimum age for all of these activities to 21.
“We’re willing to work with the horse racing corporation and help come up with something that would clear up a lot of regulations, really streamline things,” said Mulrooney.
While many non-profits support the bill, organizations like the Family Foundation are skeptical.
The foundation released a statement that says, in part:
“If the General Assembly continues to go down the path of more government-sponsored predatory gambling, Kentuckians will continue to pay the price. More gambling will only mean more destructive costs to families and communities across the Commonwealth. It’s past time for the General Assembly to just say no to more unconstitutional gambling expansion.”
But, those in support of the bill say it’s not really about the money.
“It sounds like a lot of money when you talk about gaming and gambling and things like that, but it’s really about the people and the people that our organizations…that they’re allowed to serve,” said Lori Smith, who represents the Charitable Gaming Association of Kentucky.
HB 904 passed the Kentucky House on Thursday and will now head to the Senate.
WAVE reached out to Churchill Downs for a comment on the horse racing part of this bill and was told they do not have a comment at this time.