NC Family Staff | May 19, 2017 | SHARE: 
HB 511–Game Nights/Nonprofit Fund-Raiser would allow non-profit, charitable organizations to host Las Vegas-style casino “game nights,” complete with alcohol, as fundraising events across North Carolina. This would produce an uneven playing field between charities, especially those whose mission is to serve individuals battling alcohol, drug, gambling or other addictions. It would also lead to a proliferation of commercial gambling enterprises that provide gambling equipment and trained staff to operate casino “game nights.”
TAKE ACTION: We need your help to stop this bill! HB 511 is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance Committee first thing Tuesday morning. Your State House Member needs to hear from you before Tuesday, so please visit the NC Family Action Center to send an email to your State Representative asking him or her to OPPOSE this dangerous bill.
“This bill is a bad bet for North Carolina,” says NC Family President John L. Rustin. “Not only could this create an unfair playing field for nonprofits that do not want to promote gambling, it would also put money into the pockets of gambling vendors who are operating in violation of North Carolina gambling laws.”
Research into states where nonprofit casino gambling is legal shows that the net benefits to charitable organizations is alarmingly small. After paying for prizes, rent of the venue space, food and beverages (including alcohol), rent of the gambling equipment, hiring staff, and other expenses, nonprofit organizations typically net less than 10 percent of gross revenues from game nights – usually in the 4-5 percent range. This means a game night that generates revenues of $50,000 would only net the non-profit between $2,500 and $5,000. Many nonprofit donors would be shocked to learn that so little of their money actually goes toward a charitable purpose.
With your help, we were able to defeat a bill this past Wednesday that would have legalized online Fantasy Sports Gambling in North Carolina, and we need your help to beat this bill, too!
