HUNTINGTON BEACH : City : City Broadens Its Bingo Horizons

To accommodate the developing trend of daylong bingo games, the City Council has introduced a measure to extend the length of time that the fund-raising games can last.

Under an ordinance introduced this week, the council would allow groups for one week each year to host bingo games that could last as long as 12 hours. Or, if groups prefer, during that week they could instead hold three six-hour games within seven days.

The city’s existing ordinance limits games to six hours and allows groups to hold no more than one game per week.

Bingo games, long a staple of school fund raising, have become increasingly popular recently among parent-teacher associations as state funding for education has been reduced.

Countywide, PTAs from many schools this year have held marathon bingo fund-raisers, typically lasting 12 hours.

In Huntington Beach, Ocean View and Marina high schools are among those that have held all-day bingo events within the past month. The proceeds will help pay for grad night activities, which the schools have promoted in recent years to discourage students from drinking to celebrate their graduation.

These 12-hour bingo games, however, have violated the six-hour limit set by city ordinance. Rather than cite the PTA groups for the infraction, city officials drafted an ordinance to amend the city’s bingo regulations.

The marathon bingo games would only be allowed for one week per year, and city permission would be required in advance.