Meeting details

Date: January 9, 2008

Location: Secretary of State’s Office, Blue Spruce Conference Room, 1700 Broadway, Denver, Colorado

Members Present: Dan Gincig, Don Kuzina, David Esses, Nick Pizzuti

Members Absent: Daniel Toussaint, Austin Gomes, Julia Eddy

Secretary of State Officials Present: Rudy Johnson, Patrick Ryan, Norm Adams, Shannon Bee

Meeting was called to order at 10:03 A.M.

The Pledge of Allegiance was conducted.

A motion was made by Don Kuzina to approve the October 24, 2007 minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Nick Pizzuti and approved by unanimous vote of the Board.

Secretary of State report

Rudy Johnson, lead investigator with the Secretary of State’s office, gave the report. The complaint log requested by the Board was handed out to its members. The log is available to the public upon request. There were 29 formal complaints logged for the year of 2007. Chairman Gincig stated that most appeared not to be major complaints. Mr. Johnson commented that there were two organizations who were found not to be in compliance on the log and were issued a fine. They are presently now in compliance.

Mr. Johnson next commented on the financial report provided on regular and progressive bingo for the 1st through 3rd quarter 2007 and previous year’s financials. Chairman Gincig commented that this year’s financials look much like the last year.

Mr. Johnson pointed out that the office also provided the Board with the Colorado Bingo-Raffle Advisory Board Handbook, which is given to every newly elected Board member. If the Board wants to meet with our staff after reviewing the handbook, they just need to call our office and we will arrange a time to do this.

Bunny Nolan, of the Boys Club of Greeley, commented that it appeared the Board consisted of mainly hall owners but few bingo-raffle licensees. Was this true?

Chairman Gincig stated that only two hall owners are on the Board, but there should be five members who are bingo/raffle licensees. Mr. Pizzuti was the only representative on the Board present today from a licensee, but some were absent today and there are still two positions on the Board which are open and need to be filled. Chairman Gincig pointed out that there have been a number of names submitted to the legislature to fill these positions, and would request that the Secretary of State’s office push to have these positions filled as soon as possible.

Corky Kyle of the CCBA, has been in contact with the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate to push to have these positions filled.

Chairman Gincig proposed the next area of discussion be the sunset review recommendations. These were:

1. Landlord licensees would not be required to send in blueprints (the Secretary of State’s office approved this as well as the Board).
2. Cash can be used as a prize in promotionals (the Secretary of State’s office opposes this).
3. Bingo-Raffle Licensees can conduct an unlimited number of bingo games during the year (the Secretary of State’s office opposed this also).
4. Elimination of the Bingo-Raffle Board (The Secretary of State’s office approved this while the majority of the Board opposed this).

Chairman Gincig said the hearing for these changed would be some time in January as far as he knew. He then wanted to have a discussion on these recommendations.

Concerning item 2:

Ms. Nolan wanted to know if a promotion ticket needs to be approved by the Secretary of State’s office like other raffle tickets? Chairman Gincig stated that they did not. Ms. Nolan stated she did not support the cash promotional in this case. Chairman Gincig wanted to clarify that raffles are not the same as promotions. Promotion tickets are not sold, they are given away. David Esses asked Ms. Nolan if she would support cash promotions if as they are run just like other promotions. She said she would in this case.

Karen Shield, of Boys Club of Greeley, felt she would have to consider if she would want cash promotions as these could effect their progressives. The Board commented that the promotions do not cost the player at all.

Mr. Pizzuti commented that he was against repealing the statutory regulation on promotions.

Mr. Esses was for the repeal.

Mr. Kuzina supports cash promotions.

Chairman Gincig is for the giving away of cash for promotions.

Concerning item 3:

Mr. Pizzuti was against unlimited sessions.

Mr. Esses supported not limiting the number of sessions.

Mr. Kuzina was for leaving the statute in place making the minimum number of games be 158 with the maximum to be set by rule.

Chairman Gincig is against an unlimited number of games, and agrees with Kuzina on the minimum and setting a max by rule.

Ms. Shield commented that she was for an unlimited number of games. At the hall where they play, there may be openings which her group would be more than happy to fill if they could conduct more than 3 games a week.

Kathy Cross, of Northglenn Band, would like to see the number of allowable sessions to be increased, but can see problems with it being unlimited.

Carolyn Nelson, of Kent Denver School, does not want to see the larger groups penalized by limiting the number of games when they have the capability to hold more sessions than smaller groups.

Mr. Pizzuti said he is against the word “unlimited””. He is willing to let the Secretary of State’s office limit the number of games by rule.

Concerning item 4:

Mr. Pizzuti was in favor of eliminating the Board. The Mayor has successfully used task force meetings and he would like to see the Board go this way. The Secretary of State would hold a task force meeting when an issue comes up instead of meetings being scheduled on a monthly, bimonthly, etc. basis. He pointed out the Board was not involved in any way with the new fee structure, they just agreed that fees needed to be changed. Internally the Secretary of State’s office has the non-profits at heart. He felt the Board is not useful or functional anymore. It has outgrown its usefulness.

Mr. Esses felt that they may want to restructure the Board to be more like a task force and perhaps meet quarterly, but he felt the Board is also still in contact with people in the industry and it can communicate any concerns to the Secretary of State’s office that are voiced.

Mr. Kuzina is in favor of keeping the Board. He felt because the Board is mandated by statute and therefore required, they are a voice for non-profits.

Mr. Kyle said his association supports the continuation of the Board and there has been talk by a task force within his association of making the Board a Class-A type Board in the future.

Ms. Shield said her organization supports the Board. She felt if the Board did not exist, Bingo would no longer be done by non-profits, it would be strictly a type of gambling done on the hill.

Ms. Nelson said she personally feels the board is a voice and resource for groups to use to reach the Secretary of State’s office and to represent them.

John Smith, of Bingo Planet, is in favor of the Board remaining as he is not comfortable with having a task force. The Board is more of a public forum. He felt a task force could be chosen so it supports a particular view and would sway the vote in one direction or another.

Mr. Pizzuti commented that what Mr. Smith said is true, but people need to realize that the Board is advisory only, its recommendations to the Secretary of State may or may not be accepted. The Board has no real control over decisions made by the Secretary of State.

Chairman Gincig will send e-mails to groups concerning hearing dates on the above recommendations and also on the next Board meeting.

Chairman Gincig announced the next Board meeting will be February 13, 2008, unless otherwise noted.

Mr. Esses moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr. Pizzuti and approved by the Board.

Meeting adjourned at 11:40 A.M.