To our knowledge, no official guidelines for the ban on smoking have yet been written. However, we are hearing from our insiders in Lansing that “outdoor ‘smoking tents’ or some outside structure will be ALLOWED if it is not fully enclosed, some distance from the bingo/gaming facility, and is in compliance with the local municipal smoke-free regulations. Some of the local regulations require a distance of 10 to 20 feet from the facility. Therefore the bingo/gaming operators (i.e. your bingo hall) will have to check with their respective county/city or township on their ‘smoke-free’ requirements.” For more information on local restrictions in Michigan and neighboring states, you can visit www.tcsg.org/sfelp/home.htm . We also urge you to contact your local county/city or township directly.

Despite not having specific guidelines (we’re now hearing that “the lawyers” are involved and that official guidelines likely won’t be available until April), you should begin to plan your strategy for your bingo hall, bingos and/or fraternal clubrooms today. Therefore, below we have written out some ideas to help with your preparation for a non-smoking environment. Be warned. If you wait until April or May without any kind of plan, you will likely lose much of your crowd who are smokers.

2 Comments | Tag(s): Bingo Legislation

So, you find yourself in Las Vegas, nicely padded with new Bingo winnings and little idea of how to spend it, aside from another trip to the buffet. Hold on right there! Before you sit down to a steak the size of your head (not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you) or a slab of cheesecake so dense that it will only serve to permanently anchor you in front of the nickel slots, consider some fresh ideas we’ve got for you:

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1. Engage your grey matter.

Believe it or not, museums in and just outside Las Vegas abound! There is literally something for everyone, from the Atomic Testing Museum that explores the impact of the Nevada Testing Site on the nation and our history to the world-famous Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, where you, too, can cuddle up with creepily realistic likenesses of everyone from George Clooney to Marilyn Monroe! How about really getting into the Vegas spirit and visiting the Liberace Museum or The King’s Ransom Museum, which showcases a huge collection of Elvis memorabilia? For you manly men, consider visiting the world’s largest classic car showroom known as The Auto Collections in the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, or the Las Vegas Club Sports Hall of Fame. Your brain and your behind will thank you for getting up from that casino chair!

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2. Rejuvenate your body.

You can’t take two steps in Las Vegas without tripping over a world-class spa, so why not consider treating yourself to a well-deserved massage or a sparkling mani-pedi before an evening on the town? And if letting a stranger manhandle you isn’t your idea of fun, how about enjoying some golf on some of the best golf courses ever designed by legendary golfers like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer? Go bowling at the Red Rock Lanes, the largest luxury bowling center in all of Vegas, or visit the Springs Preserve and take in the natural desert beauty on their 1.6 miles of walking trails. If you can dream it, you can do it in Vegas!

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3. Bring home the love.

Shopping in Las Vegas is a singular event, and whether you’re seeking something to buy for yourself or your loved ones, you’ll find it in Vegas. From Neonopolis, with its collection of antique neon signs and sweeping art gallery on the second floor to the Fashion Show Mall, which boasts seven anchor stores and over 2 million square feet of shopping paradise – top-notch shops are easy to find in Vegas. The casinos offer unique places to browse and find gifts for yourself and your loved ones. The MGM Grand boasts the Star Lane shops, a collection of souvenir and travel shops decorated in a 1950s motif, while in Mandalay Bay’s shops you can find everything from Balinese carvings to Picasso prints. Circus Circus’ cobblestone promenade invites you to explore its enormous collection of sports memorabilia and Las Vegas collectibles, and the Miracle Mile in Planet Hollywood’s casino offers incredible shopping along with people movers, daily performances and a live rainstorm at V Theater.

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4. Do something silly.

Las Vegas is a unique American experience and, as such, it offers a unique variety of things to do that you won’t find anywhere else. Save the drive and your aching feet and take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, or visit the Cloud Nine hot air balloon and rise 500 feet in the air to get a spectacular 360-degree view of the sparkling whole of the city at night. See the flight-tastic “Le Reve” at Wynn to escape gravity for a while, or watch Cirque de Soleil’s “Mystere” in slack-jawed amazement. For something more ‘traditional’ to Sin City, experience the old-fashioned burlesque shows at Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce or Treasure Island’s epic clash between the Sirens of TI and a band of renegade pirates.

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5. Marvel at the majesty.

Las Vegas is rich in both man-made and natural miracles. Take a side jaunt to the Hoover Dam and stagger from the sheer size of this technological wonder. Visit Red Rock Canyon and see the Keystone Thrust Fault, believed to be over 65 million years old. Tour guides like Annie Bananie’s Wild West Tours can take you on the “Fantastic 4 Mojave Desert Tour”, a fabulous all-in-one trip that encompasses the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire.

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6. Take a chance.

After all, that’s what Vegas is all about, isn’t it? Taking a chance in Vegas is more than just gambling – you could take a chance on love and get married (or renew your vows) at the Little Chapel of the Flowers, which has some of the loveliest chapels and surrounding gardens in the city. Or you could take the plunge in true Vegas style and visit a favorite of countless celebrities – the Graceland Wedding Chapel, where you can (of course) be married by ‘Elvis’ himself! The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel provides a menu of themed weddings, including everything from Pink Cadillacs to Harleys and Gothic to Camelot themes!

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7. Grab a memento.

Souvenir shops are plentiful in Las Vegas, but some of them take their keepsakes seriously! Check out Gamblers General Store, which – you guessed it – carries everything a gambling aficianado could ever desire. The Bonanza Gift Shop is the “World’s Largest Gift Shop” and stocks a mind-boggling array of tokens to remind you of the fun you’ve had in Vegas, including an impressive selection of Native American jewelry. Don’t forget to experience the Wild West in all its glory at the gift shops in Binion’s Hotel and Casino for a truly authentic experience, either!

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In short, Las Vegas has so much more to offer than gambling and buffets. Do yourself a favor and choose something off the beaten path during your stay in Vegas, and you’re guaranteed to have something interesting to tell your loved ones when you get home!

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1 Comment | Tag(s): Bingo Articles, Uncategorized

The following list provides 15 examples of when bingo heists don’t quite go to plan…

When you think of major gambling heists, most people will imagine the action scenes from Ocean 11 with criminals striking big Vegas style casinos. However there has been a rising trend in career criminals planning heists that target bingo halls.

Criminals will often focus on striking at bingo halls simply because they’re easy to gain access to and are not protected as strongly as a big casino would be.

1. Don’t Rob a Biker’s Bingo Game

Blade wielding masked criminals picked out the wrong bingo hall to steal from. The robbers didn’t notice that a fifty strong biker gang from Southern Cross Cruiser Club were taking pleasure in a beer or two in the nearby bar.

When the biker gang saw the two men trying to rob the bingo winnings, all 50 stormed over towards them.

Upon witnessing the bikers drawing near, the robbers fled. One ran past people playing poker machines at the back of the club and then found himself blocked by a closed glass door. The robber charged through the glass and leapt five meters over the balcony before running across a bowling green. The other criminal left the building using an exit at the rear of the bar, but the biker club president – Jester went to the back of the club and waited for the robber to leave the building. When the robber appeared they hogtied him and waited for the police to arrive.

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2. Bingo Cleaner Foils Robbery

In this bingo robbery attempt, Craig Stephenson took a young women hostage and put a 8inch knife to her neck. Craig then dragged the screaming girl around the bingo hall looking for cash. Eventually, Craig entered the main hall and ran into cleaner Lee Marrison. The knife armed intruder told Lee to lie on the floor but instead he bravely stood up to him and chased him outside.

Lee Marrison told reporters:

“I was cleaning the tables in the hall and I heard a noise and turned around and saw him with his hand around her neck and a knife in his other hand. “The poor girl was shouting ‘I don’t want to die’.”

Later on Craig was arrested and sentenced to four years in jail

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3. Bingo Thieves Steal Monopoly Money

A pair of armed robbers held up a church game of bingo and quickly took the bag of money that was handed to them. Thankfully this bag only contained a lead pipe and some Monopoly money. According to reports, the organizers had already been the victim of crime so decided to have the fake money bag ready in case it happened again.

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4. Don’t Mess With Bingo Players

In another case of bingo players fighting back, a robber ended up being shot when he tried to rob a bingo parlor in Florida. The cocky criminal chose to fire his pistol into the ceiling to prove he was for real. One of the players who was fearful for his life chose at this point to pull his own pistol and swiftly shot the robber dead. The player was not charged as he had a concealed weapons permit and Florida has a law (Stand Your Ground Law) that allows residents to use deadly force to protect themselves against intruders.

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10 Comments | Tag(s): Bingo News, Uncategorized

Just a quick reminder that the Wholesale Bingo Supplies Scholarship deadline is approaching. All applications for this years bingo scholarship must be submitted by the end of the day this Sunday, February 28th. Finalists for the scholarship will be notified by March 15th, and the winner (assuming they meet all qualifications) will be announced on April 10th.

Good luck to all of our applicants. We’ve had a great number of wonderful responses and the judges at Wholesale Bingo Supplies are looking forward to choosing a winner.

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Recently a bingo fundraiser manager spoke to us about the continued increase in the number of bingo workers using cell phones and text messaging while working her bingo. It got so bad that a few bingo players actually complained about the lack of focus and inattentive behavior. The workers had become too concerned with texting and not concerned enough about customer service.

As cell phones and text messaging become a regular way of life for just about everyone, don’t make the mistake of letting it take over your bingo. Excellent customer service (not inattentive workers, too busy texting) is a reason that your bingo players will return. Make sure that your bingo workers are not texting when they should be taking care of the players. After all, would you be happy with a restaurant who’s waitstaff spent their time texting in between taking orders? Would that waitstaff be able to do their job well?

In the case of the bingo manager that talked to us, she said that at first, texting wasn’t much of a problem. However, over time it grew to be such a distraction for some of her workers that she banned texting altogether. As a result, customer service has improved. In the future, she plans on allowing some limited use (to contact family, etc.) but only when they are not working with customers.

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One of the best ways you can make your bingo a success is to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your bingo workers. After all, the friendlier and more informed your workers are, the  better the overall experience will be for your bingo players. So here are 8 customer service tips for your bingo workers.

1. Make sure your bingo workers understand how to play bingo.

2. Make sure your bingo workers understand all of the different bingo supplies. 

3. Talk to your bingo players. Walk around your bingo and engage your players in friendly conversation.

4. Cheer your players on! Wish them luck and get excited when they get excited.

5. Hand out event calendars to your bingo players, and make them aware of future happenings at your bingo.

6. If your bingo workers don’t know the answer to a question, have them find someone who does. A confused bingo player may not return.

7. Bend over backwards for your bingo players. Address any needs they might have.

8. It may sound simple, but thank your bingo players for attending and for any purchases. Also, stand by the exits at the end of your bingo session, smile, and thank your players one last time.

It’s common sense, but being friendly and helpful can go a long way towards making your bingo night a success. Create a fun environment and your players will keep coming back.

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We’re hearing word that sometime this month the State of Michigan should put forward their guidelines for operating a bingo hall and other workplaces under a smoking ban.

Will outdoor smoking tents be allowed? If so, how must they be constructed and how far from your establishment must they be located? How is the violation process handled? We hope to shortly have answers to these and more questions so that bingos can begin preparing their bingo players for life at bingo without smoke. As we have recommended previously, our best advice is to look at the regulations when they come out and use them to accomodate your smokers in the best legal way you can.

As soon as we know more, we will let you know.

1 Comment | Tag(s): Uncategorized

In our last post, we discussed what a bingo operator should do to promote their bingo in a smoke free environment. Today, we’ll give some important advice about what a bingo hall operator should do to prepare. In some states, the person or groups that run the bingo are separate from the management of the bingo hall, and in others there’s one organization running both. 

1. Create an outside smoking area 

Although smoking ban is not yet been completely defined (we expect the state to outline smoking ban specifics sometime in February), we anticipate that the state will likely allow for a  designated outdoor smoking area. Now is the time to begin planning for where and what your outside smoking area should be.

Create an enclosed (if permitted by the law) environment outside the bingo hall for smokers. Make the smoking area well-lit. If possible, add heat (be sure to follow all safety regulations for any heating equipment you provide) in the cold months and fans or other cooling devices for the summer.

Equip your smoking area with speakers so that your smokers are aware of what’s happening with the bingo game inside. Of course, keep the smoking area clean and full of ashtrays. Perhaps, even offer waiter service for players in your smoking area.

If you do one thing to prepare your bingo hall for a smoking ban, this is the most important. A comfortable and accessible smoking area is essential for keeping your smoking bingo players coming back to your bingo.

2. Clean up the hall.

Now that smoking will be gone, perhaps you can get rid of some of the dinginess that smoking brings. Wash walls, flashboards, and doorways. Scrub tables, chairs, and floors. If possible,  replace ceiling tiles, artwork, and any other fixtures that absorbed the smoke smell over the years. Finally, replace, put on sale, or give away any bingo supplies that might smell smoky.

If you’re going to be a non-smoking hall, you might as well make your hall appeal to the non-smokers as much as possible.

Helpful Hint: White vinegar is an excellent odor absorber. To help rid your hall of that cigarette smell. Leave out bowls of white vinegar during the bingo hall’s off hours.

1 Comment | Tag(s): Bingo Advice

Recently our state, Michigan, joined the close to 40 other states across the nation who have banned smoking in some form. As you probably know, bingo halls and bingos have traditionally had a large percentage of smokers. So, what should you do if you run a bingo and smoking is banned in your area? Below are six suggestions for keeping your bingo players who happen to smoke happy and coming back to your bingo establishment.

1.  Communicate with all of your players, but especially with your players that smoke.

Your players are not going to want to be surprised or have to guess at what changes will be coming. If you don’t outline a plan and communicate it to your players who smoke, guess what? You won’t have any smoking players to worry about anymore. Make sure that you are preparing for the smoking ban, and letting all of your players know about those preparations every step of the way.

2.  Add more frequent and shorter breaks for the smokers

Instead of a single long intermission at the middle of your bingo program (which is pretty typical), you should think about offering more frequent, shorter breaks. Perhaps, 3 or 4 five minute smoking breaks throughout your event will work for your bingo. Some bingos feel 2, 10 minute breaks are better. Whatever you decide, let your smoking players know and get their feedback.

3.  Survey your bingo players and ask them for suggestions.

To involve the smokers in your crowd, you may want to pass out surveys to them (and your non-smokers too) and gather their opinions. Maybe they’d like a different break schedule than you had in mind. Or, they could simply offer some helpful suggestions you hadn’t thought of yourself.

But, be warned. Just because you offer your bingo players a survey, doesn’t mean you have to implement every result. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to keep your findings to yourself and your workers until you know exactly what you want to do. You don’t want to make players upset or create any fights. Use your survey simply as a guide to prepare for the non-smoking future and make your decisions based on what’s better for all of your players.

4.  Structure prizes around your breaks.

Structure Prizes around breaks so that smokers players will be incentivized to come back to the bingo game after their intermission or break.

5. Pre-bundle your pulltabs

Place workers with pulltabs near the exits where the smokers will go for a break and have them sell pre-bundled pulltabs for a quick and easy transaction. In fact make all of your bingo supplies are bundled neatly and conveniently to expedite to speed operations along. This will give your smokers as much time to both play bingo and pulltabs and have a smoke if they want.

6. Host a themed welcome back bingo night

Embrace the smoking ban and try to have fun with it. Do something special for the first bingo you have after the ban. Host an Elvis themed event or some other fun activity that will get your smoking players back in the door. Empathize with your players and celebrate bingo.

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Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that we’ve moved and changed our blog over to a WordPress format. The change was made simply to give the blog a more appealing format and some different options. Please let us know your thoughts and comments about the new look.

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