Jump to full article: Columbia (SC) State, 2009-09-28
Author: DAWN HINSHAW
Intro: Bingo parlors on opposite ends of Richland County are suing each other, claiming their competitors are ignoring a county law that prohibits smoking.
The two - Carolina Gold Bingo on Decker Boulevard and Mr. Bingo on St. Andrews Road - have hired well-known lawyers, as well as private investigators to spy on each others' customers.
At the heart of the dispute is Richland County Council's indecision about how vigorously to enforce a law that has generated few reports of violations and carries just a $25 fine. . . .
The lengths to which the bingo parlors are going hints at the lucrative and competitive nature of the business.
The two parlors - among four total in Richland County - each grossed more than $700,000 last year. Carolina Gold was only open part of the year.
The operators don't keep all the profits, though.
Under state law, bingo games must benefit "fraternal, religious or charitable organizations," said Adrienne Fairwell, a spokeswoman for the S.C. Department of Revenue.
However, the state agency is not privvy to the individual contracts that set out how much of the net proceeds a promoter shares with a nonprofit group, she said.
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