§ 10-52. Legislative findings.

The board of county commissioners finds and determines that:

(1)

F.S. § 849.0931 was enacted by the legislature in order to authorize charitable, nonprofit and veterans organizations engaged in charitable, civic, community, benevolent, religious or scholastic works and other similar activities to conduct bingo and instant bingo games and to donate the entire proceeds derived from these games, less actual business expenses for articles designed for and essential to the operation, conduct and playing of bingo, to such endeavors, thus, bringing aid and comfort to the community and its members.

(2)

F.S. § 849.0931(2)(a) prohibits the proceeds from bingo or instant bingo games from being used for any purpose whatsoever other than enumerated purposes.

(3)

F.S. § 849.0931(3) authorizes nonprofit organizations not involved in the efforts listed in subsection (1) of this section to conduct bingo games only upon the condition that the entire proceeds are returned to the players in the form of prizes.

(4)

F.S. § 849.0931 contains various other provisions intended to ensure that only the groups, associations and organizations referred to in the statute are involved in and receive or distribute the proceeds of these games; but the law is inadequate to fully achieve this objective because of a lack of regulatory authority.

(5)

Monies from bingo and instant bingo games are frequently retained illegally or taken for noncharitable purposes through various ruses such as abnormally high rentals or salaries.

(6)

Arrangements between and among lessors of places where bingo and instant bingo games are conducted, actual or putative nonprofit organizations and concessionaires at such games have become commercialized to an extent not contemplated or intended by the legislature.

(7)

Effective enforcement of any state law regarding bingo and instant bingo games can only be brought about by local regulation of these games to ensure that the proceeds from the games pass into the hands of the groups, organizations or associations identified in F.S. § 849.0931, in the manner and for the purposes set forth in the statute.

(Code 1970, § 16½-81; Ord. No. 92-15, § 1, 10-27-92; Ord. No. 93-18, § 1, 6-8-93; Ord. No. 08-40, § 1, 9-23-08)