Casino Nights for charity may be profitable, but the county
prosecutor said Wednesday that Pennsylvania law says … what happens
in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

“We have received many calls from individuals who want to hold
Casino Night events,” District Attorney John Pavlock said Wednesday
afternoon. “They are often shocked when they are told they are not
permitted.”

Pavlock explained that under the state’s Small Games of Chance
Act, the only games permitted are punchboards, pull-tabs, raffles,
daily drawings and weekly drawings.

“It does not include any card games – no poker nights or Texas
Hold ’em – roulette wheels, dice or other gambling type activities
commonly undertaken at Casino Nights,” he said.

Any time an event happens, Pavlock’s office is flooded with
calls from people whom he has told “no.”

“They ask why other groups were allowed to hold them,” Pavlock
said. “And my response is, no group is supposed to undertake that
activity.”

However, the district attorney stressed that he is not looking
to target any group or agency for events that may have been held,
but wants to clarify the law for future reference.

“There are great people out there trying to do some good,”
Pavlock said, adding that he understands the events are raising
money for worthy causes. However, the law is the law.

“We fully recognize that there are many very valuable charity,
church and other organizations that are in need of as many revenue
streams as possible to fund their valuable programs and provide
much needed and greatly appreciated services,” he said. “Further,
based on comments that we are receiving, there may be many McKean
County citizens who believe that the law should be changed to
expand the definition of small games of chance.

“However, until and if the law is changed at the state law, we
are under an obligation to make sure that the public is aware of it
and that it is followed,” Pavlock said. “We want to avoid the
situation where one organization feels slighted because it is
acting within the limitation of the Act while another organization
is not.”

The state Department of Revenue is the agency which oversees the
Small Games of Chance Act. A license is available for certain
organizations – charitable, religious, fraternal, veterans, civic
and service, clubs and auxiliaries – to conduct small games of
chance for raising funds for “public interest purposes,” according
to information on the agency’s Web site.

Meanwhile, the organizers of one recent highly publicized casino
night event explained their legal research showed their event to be
in compliance.

According to Bradford Hospital Auxiliary Executive Director
Virginia Digel-Neel, the Auxiliary holds a Small Games of Chance
license, renewable each year. For the Viva Las Bradford event this
year, she noted, Auxiliary officials “researched through legal
counsel and understood that we were within the parameters of the
law.”

Neel also noted that the Auxiliary contracted with an
experienced Erie firm to manage the games, all conducted with play
money. Funds were raised at the event through sponsorships and the
sale of tickets to enter the premises. Those tickets provided
attendees with the play money, a buffet and entertainment. “All
funds raised through this and any activity sponsored by the
Auxiliary is for the benefit of BRMC,” Neel explained.