Gambling news from http://www.fortwayne.com/
BLUFFTON – Local tavern owners and leaders of area fraternal organizations such as the American Legion and AmVets posts hope to see the state legislature make a move to legalize Cherry Masters and other electronic or video-gambling machines.
Toward that end, the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association is hosting a series of meetings around the state to form a coalition in favor of legalizing electronic gaming and inform those working in the bar industry how they can address this issue with their respective legislators.
The first of those meetings was in a smoky meeting room at the American Legion Post 111 in downtown Bluffton on Wednesday afternoon. And some of those in attendance said the decrease in revenue from the electronic gaming devices has caused them to reduce the amount of money they give to local charities.
Don Marquardt with Timbers Casual Dining and Lounge in Angola, and state president of the bar owners’ group, told the group of about 20 gathered in the Legion hall that the Indiana Excise Police had largely left bars and restaurants with Cherry Masters and other video gambling machines alone under the 16 years of Democratic control of the statehouse and the governor’s mansion.
But he said the past few years, under a Republican administration, had brought about an increase in enforcement.
“(Gov.) Mitch (Daniels) said legalize ‘em or enforce the law,” Marquardt said.
The machines, while popular, are illegal in Indiana. Recent months have seen area businesses’ machines confiscated, such as those at the American Legion Post 330 in New Haven.
Michelle Becerra of TJ’s Bar and Grill in Decatur spoke specifically of the declining pool of money available for her bar to donate to area charities because of the loss of revenue from the gambling machines.
Wayne Lovelady, another in attendance at the meeting, agreed.
“A lot of your Legions support needy families at Christmas,” he told Marquardt, adding that area servicemen and women as well as other charities also benefited.
“It’s getting so we can hardly support them anymore,” Lovelady said. “(The public) thinks you’re greedy because of all this money (coming from the machines), but they don’t see what we’re giving out.”
Marquardt said he had had conversations with state legislatures, such as Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Howe, who although opposed to expanding legalized gambling had listened to what the the beverage association had to say.
However Stutzman, who chairs the House Public Policy and Veterans Affairs Committee, has said he would not likely hear any bill legalizing video gaming and is opposed to expanding gambling.
Marquardt also mentioned Rep. Win Moses Jr., D-Fort Wayne, and Sen. Robert Meeks, R-LaGrange, as being possible proponents of measures to legalize the machines.
Moses compared the situation to Prohibition, when banning alcohol made the industry go underground.
Meeks and Moses said legalizing the machines would allow the state to ensure fair payouts while collecting a share of the money.
Another meeting in the series was scheduled for Wednesday night at the American Legion Post 499 in Fort Wayne. Additional meetings are scheduled throughout the month around the state.
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