Charitable Gambling Cont...

History : page 2

In the year 1993 joint subcommittee was established by General Assembly to study Virginia's statutes. After that watching the joint subcommittee’s working progress Charitable Gaming Commission was founded as a regulatory body responsible for enforcing the Commonwealth's charitable gambling laws. This Commission is also charged with prescribing regulations that enhance the “integrity” of the activities and maintains the “highest quality” charitable gaming environment, free of corruption, so as to increase the financial gain of bona fide charities.

The main work of the Commissioning authority is to observe that gambling organizations donate an “appropriate” percentage of the total profit from their games to charity and maintain the whole system with a full benefit. The required percentage-based donation ranges from 5% on newly-established games, to a maximum of 12% on most others. All other revenue may be returned to the gambler in betting proceeds. Virginia's population of gamblers argue that their actions benefit charity; however, of the $350 million in total gambling revenue from 2000, at most, only $20 million was actually donated to charities. It is legal for gambling associations to spend part of its 12% contribution to maintain and expand their facilities.

Since then the inception of charitable gambling, the popularity of the games has grown enormously with huge players. Now a days highly sophisticated slot m/c and gaming accessories are introduced in the virtual gaming world. The games have extended from bingo cards and raffle tickets to the inclusion of “pull tabs.” Pull tabs are, in essence, handheld slot machines. Instead of pulling a lever and lining up a row of matching symbols, one needs only to match the front slot display on the pull tab card to the back row of symbols. Pull tabs nearly always accompany bingo games as a more immediately gratifying gambling opportunity.