Bingo can get you in trouble in Portugal and Canada.
The papers have been full of the amazing story of the Portuguese police raid on an ex-pat pub where a group of dabbers were hauled in for questioning, four hours’ worth of questioning, after breaking gambling laws by playing for a – wait for it – tin of biscuits.
The eldest person playing this outlaw game, which contravened Portugal’s strict gambling laws, was 76, and the operation was apparently the result of a long-running surveillance operation. Fines for the recidivist bingo players could be up to £8,500!
In Canada, it’s not illegal to gamble, but the state of Ontario has its eyes on your winnings.
The image of bingo is very much of a game for women. That’s certainly the way the advertising is pitched, and every site defaults to female when it asks for your details. The image of the runaway parent is of a dad gone AWOL. This disconnect hasn’t stopped the Canadian authorities keeping an eye on bingo winnings to deduct cash owed in family support payments before the player leaves the hall.
It’s happening in Ontario, where the state lottery and gaming board have partnered with the Family Responsibility Office (FRO), their equivalent of the Child Support Agency (CSA) which tries to track down parents who aren’t paying their way.
Anyone winning more than $1,000 won’t get their sweaty hands on their cash until they’ve handed over their personal details. Those will be checked against a list of non-payers from the FRO. If there’s a match, then the FRO will authorise a deduction from the prize.
In fact, this power has been in place for well over a decade, but it’s only the growing power of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, who have taken over most of the state’s bingo halls.
No wonder we play from the safety of our own homes. Hackers have got nothing on these bingo Bobbies!
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