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Seniors Miss Wal-Mart Bingo
By ROBERT McNEILLOf The Record Staff
For Ann Jackson, Jean Page and about 40 more local senior citizens, the weekly Bingo matches held each Tuesday morning inside the Wal-Mart Supercenter cafeteria were the perfect social outlet.
Now these local players have no place to continue the matches after receiving news two weeks ago that the retail giant has ended the games in all its stores across the country due to concerns about gambling laws.
Sharon Webber, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, said many states have strict laws pertaining to “gambling and games of chance.” Because of the company’s size, it is difficult to make judgments on a store-by-store basis, she said. She said elderly customers are still appreciated, with each individual store planning to provide some alternative activity.
Officials at the Dunn store wouldn’t speak about the issue, referring questions to the corporate office. If there is any alternate activity planned for Dunn, it is not yet known.
“We value our customers and look forward to hosting ... games for them to enjoy,” she said. “One store will have them come in and have doughnuts and play dominoes or cards. But we just cannot play bingo where prizes are given out.”
Ms. Jackson, who lives in Dunn, said she and other senior citizens met regularly at Wal-Mart for the games. Nancy Strickland, also of Dunn, furnished the bingo cards and chips.
Wal-Mart supplied the prizes, which were less than $1 in value, Ms. Jackson said, and included such items as gallons of Clorox, boxes of cookies and plastic containers. It was the ideal time to fellowship with one another as an employee called out the numbers. After the matches, everyone browsed the store and shopped, she said.
“This was a time to get together and find out how everyone was doing. It was a socializing hour for us,” Ms. Jackson. “We, as seniors, do not have a lot we can get together and do. I had been going (to the matches) for about a year and a half.
“After bingo, that’s when we did our shopping. I had my prescription changed from Dunn Discount Drug to that place so I could do it all at one place.”
Ms. Jackson said she and her fellow game card players were not happy to hear that the matches ended after June 28. Now she and others are retaliating by not shopping at Wal-Mart anymore.
“We had this section we played in. When they (Wal-Mart employees) came in with coffee cakes and orange juice that morning (June 28), we knew something was up,” she said. “The manager came in and told us it would be the last day we would play.
“They are going to miss the seniors and the amount of money they spent,” Ms. Jackson said. “Now I will switch my prescriptions to another store. All I can say to Wal-Mart is ‘You all cut your own throat.’”
Now the weekly bingo players are in search of another meeting place to continue their matches, Ms. Jackson said.
“Some of us got together this past Tuesday (July 5) at McDonald’s to eat breakfast and talk,” she said. “But McDonald’s is not big enough to play.
Looking For A Place
“We are looking for a place to go and play, and may have to furnish our own gifts. But still we would be together.”
Ms. Page said her hopes of meeting her friends each morning were crushed by the news that no more bingo games will be held at Wal-Mart. She said she doesn’t think the store chain cares about the social welfare of senior citizens, just their money.
“We played bingo but it was not gambling. Christians don’t gamble,” she said. “This gave us all an opportunity to talk and get out of the house.
“Most of us spent up to $50 to $100 a week. But I won’t be spending money out there. But they (Wal-Mart) got so much money they could care less,” Ms. Page said. “They try to run away little people.”
Ms. Page pledged to find another place to play bingo and shop.
“We will find another place to play and I will be saving money. They are doing me a favor.”
Source: The Daily Record
Senior Citizen Aticles | Wal-Mart Bingo
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