The Galician regional law clearly establishes in its article 22 that "The game of bingo may only be played in establishments authorized as bingo halls" which must carry out, like the rest of authorized establishments, access control to prevent the entry of minors. 18 years old or those people registered as at risk due to their history of gambling, also guaranteeing the safety of those attending the event.
Although it also includes exceptions, which open the door to the holding of "social bingo" sessions, in the case of "competitions of pure pastime or recreation constituting social customs of a traditional, family or friendly nature, provided that they do not are subject to lucrative exploitation by the participants or by third parties and without in any case involving money or prizes susceptible to economic valuation.
As well as "in the game of bingo organized by nursing homes and day centers or by legally registered cultural or sports associations" and provided that they are limited to four sessions per month, that the amounts played and the prizes awarded do not exceed €300 per session that must be carried out by manual and mechanical means and not with computer applications, in addition to the fact that during the development of the session, in no case are minors present in the room and finally, that in the senior residence or day center itself or in the premises listed as the address of the corresponding association.
Failure to comply with this rule could result in penalties ranging from €3,000 to €18,000. END OF A FORM OF FINANCING PARTIES AND SPORTS CLUBS
Conditions that, according to some organizers, make the celebrations of these bingo halls unfeasible and unattractive due to a law that is written "for bingo halls that are held in nursing homes with only 20 or 30 attendees," which is why they consider that "it should be continue as before to be able to help the party commissions since 80% of these commissions are going to have to cut the budget by 30 or 35%," which is what is estimated to come from the celebration of the social bingos.
A right to neighborhood meetings that in no case prohibits the Gaming Law "if they are done for the purpose of entertainment" but never "as a lucrative activity and with the purpose of seeking the expectation of the prize", as clarified by the General Director of Inside the Xunta, Santiago Villanueva (pictured), assures that "the only change in the new law is the limitation of the prizes, which cannot be higher than €300 per session."
And remember that one of the objectives of the new law "is to prevent gambling addiction and guarantee the safety of those attending games of chance", wondering what would happen "if any problem occurs in this type of bingos that are organized in non-public places." regulated and attended mainly by older people.
