Suspension of Church Bingo License Upheld in Carson

The Carson City Council on Tuesday upheld a 30-day suspension of a Samoan church’s bingo license for paying its bingo workers in violation of a city ordinance and state law.

The United Samoan Congregational Christian Church of the South Bay Area had appealed the suspension, which was imposed last month by Finance Director Lorraine Oten. The suspension included shutting down the church’s lucrative bingo operations for a two-week period that ended Tuesday.

The United Samoan Congregational Christian Church was also told to pay $5,000 in administrative and investigative costs incurred by the city to review allegations concerning its bingo games, which first surfaced in a complaint last year by a former church official.

Church President Maligi Nua said the church’s dispute with Oten revolved around conflicting interpretations of the city’s so-called bingo ordinance. Nua acknowledged paying bingo workers a $25 stipend for each night worked but said they were paid from the church’s general fund and not from bingo proceeds.

Nua said the church lost an estimated $40,000 by canceling four nights of bingo games because of the suspension.

Council members affirmed the suspension 3 to 1, with Mayor Michael I. Mitoma voting against Oten’s recommendation and Councilwoman Juanita McDonald abstaining. Voting to uphold the suspension were Councilwomen Kay A. Calas, Vera Robles DeWitt and Sylvia L. Muise.

Before the games can resume, church officials must abide by a number of conditions involving how bingo proceeds are handled. The city wants the church to maintain a separate bank account for its bingo operation and not make any payments from that account to its general fund account.

Bingo revenue had accounted for up to 60% of the church budget, church officials said.