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Date: 2/1/2023
WESTERN MASS. – Bingo. Rummy. Dominoes. Senior centers often host various games, which provide a social outlet for seniors, a group often vulnerable to isolation. Players sometimes like to make the game a little more interesting by introducing money, with the winners taking home the pot.
Unfortunately for fans of these games, this long-standing practice ran afoul of a Massachusetts law, and was classified as illegal gambling. However, a new bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives might carve out an exception for these games.
In 2022, some senior centers in Western Massachusetts decided to stop hosting recreational games with winnings to avoid legal issues. Others simply removed the monetary component but allowed the games to continue.
“This issue affected pitch [card game] players at Pleasant View Senior Center, many of whom have returned to continue playing despite not being able to play for money,” said East Longmeadow Council on Aging (COA) Director Erin Koebler. “They are always welcome to play here. We have many types of games on a weekly basis, hoping to appeal to the interests of a variety of seniors.”
Hampden Council on Aging Director Rebecca Moriarty said that the issue has also affected Hampden’s senior center patrons. “We do not allow gambling of any kind [due to the legal issues]. Participants are still welcome to play games here at the center, and they do, but there is no money exchanged to play and there are no winnings.”
The Longmeadow Adult Community Center eliminated the gambling portion of one open-play game being played there. Longmeadow Director of Adult Services James Leyden said it had a relatively high monetary component and was outside the scope of games that have traditionally been played at senior centers.
“I think some people were disappointed,” Leyden said. The COA offered to continue allowing the game without the gambling component, but Leyden said the patrons who were playing decided not to continue.
State Rep. Angelo Puppolo recently introduced a bill that would amend Chapter 271 of the Massachusetts General Laws and make legal recreational games played at senior centers.
“It just makes sense to let these folks play card games. They aren’t high rollers who are looking to make money. They just want to play cards and recreational bingo with their friends and peers,” stated Puppolo.
There are restrictions to the gaming that is allowed, namely the winnings must be $20 or less, no one person can contribute more than $5 to the game, all proceeds must go to the players and no one may profit from the game, except through winnings.
“The bill is definitely necessary for councils on aging. We’ve always wanted black-and-white guidelines,” said Leyden.
Moriarty said that the Hampden Senior Center would bring back the “small monetary prize winnings” if the bill passes. Leyden confirmed that the Adult Community Center would do likewise, but noted there may be issues with enforcement. “I think the challenge is really keeping track of the $20 limit,” he said. “If players want to take it to a higher level, the Council on Aging may not know about it.”