After years and years of bingo being hosted by Biddeford’s Fifty Plus Club, the games have been shut down by the state, and seniors who once enjoyed them are understandably upset.

Department of Public Safety official Jim Gass has told the city to shut down the bingo games because state statute mandates that cash prizes cannot be awarded to the players.

Deb Lizotte, who runs the senior center, said she was told the Fifty Plus Club was exempt from that provision because the statute also allows groups made up mostly of seniors to operate the games without a license if they are for recreation and not for profit.

The city has, for years, believed that the exemption applied to this club, while Gass is now saying that it does not because the players profit from the games. The club itself does not realize any profit, said Lizotte.

We feel Gass’ decision is a misreading of the state statute, and that the club should be continued to be allowed to host the games. The statute clearly does not delineate the full meaning of “not for profit,” but it’s clear from our reading that this entire exemption was written for clubs just like the one operating in Biddeford.

Clearly, this operation is no hardcore gambling ring. It’s a fun pastime for older people that gives them an opportunity to get out of the house and socialize with friends. Lizotte noted that prizes were never more than $10, but just winning that amount gave players a thrill. Gass telling them to play for candy bars was an insult and certainly uncalled for.

These weekly games regularly draw about 100 people, according to Lizotte, and she used bingo’s popularity as a way to spread the word to area seniors about programs that are available to them to help improve their health and well-being.

What a shame that opportunity is lost now, as Gass has told the club they are also prohibited from getting a license for the bingo games, since they are a municipal entity.

We hope the city attorney can help resolve this issue with the state so that games can be resumed at the Fifty Plus Club, one way or another. It’s simply not acceptable to shut down such a popular activity that means so much to those for whom it is the hub of their social life, especially when state law makes a specific exemption for such an activity.

If Gass wants to stick to his guns, however, the city should find another way to provide these games for seniors. Perhaps a small nonprofit entity could be formed to host the games at theJ. Richard Martin Community Center, with a license, to get around the roadblocks.

The bingo games are clearly important to the seniors who frequent the club and should not be taken away from them because one person is reading the state statute differently than it has been interpreted for more than a decade.

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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski, representing the majority opinion of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.