Seniors can gamble to their content once the governor signs the bill passed overwhelmingly by the state Senate on Friday.
“And the seniors are ecstatic. This is their victory,” said Patty Whitson of the Bureau of Aging.
Spearheaded by the Carroll County delegation, the bill allows small-stakes gambling, such as penny or nickel bingo, up to five days a week in Carroll County senior centers.
Maryland law requiresthe senior centers to have a special permit for small-stakes gambling, but these permits cover one day of small-stakes bingo per week.
“Gambling is covered in Maryland’s criminal code, with unique provisions for each county,” said Carroll County Attorney Kimberly A. Millender.
Since the Carroll County Bureau of Aging learned of the law in March, the Carroll senior centers obtained permits and limited small-stakes bingo events.
Seniors disgust with the current situation led Carroll?s delegation in Annapolis to submit the bill.
Carroll County seniors ? many of whom also have testified in Annapolis ? have expended much of their energy to get the bill passed.
“I have been coming here for four years and all we want are our Mondays and Wednesdays,” said Mary Ella Owens, 65, a volunteer at the North Carroll Senior Activities Center in Greenmount.
She is referring to the traditional Monday and Wednesday nickel bingo games that were partially disrupted when the center learned about the seniors? illegal behavior. Presently, with a permit, nickel bingo only can be played on Wednesdays.
Owens looks forward to Gov. Robert Ehrlich signing the new bill into law.
“We are not spending all our life savings on this, and we don?t like change,” she said.
“The whole situation has been crazy.”
House Bill 938 to ease current restrictions on small stakes gambling at senior centers
Status: Passed House and Senate, awaits governor?s signature
