Dec. 5, 2010, Newark Advocate
By JESSICA ALAIMO
CentralOhio.com
Bingo cards are placed neatly in front of them. Colorful daubers are lined up within grasp. They’ve gotten food from the concession stand, and paper bags are by their feet to dispose of used cards. It’s showtime.
Five minutes later, the games start. Shelby Wright, of Zanesville, and Tina Maxwell, of Dresden, are focused, scanning their cards for the numbers called out and displayed on the video monitors.
As more numbers are called in each play, the chatter picks up and excitement brews. When someone yells “bingo,” it is met with a collective groan and simultaneous crumpling of paper.
It’s Wednesday night at MASS Bingo in Zanesville, and the room is crowded. But it used to be full for every game, said Wright, whose bingo-playing days outdate the daubers and video monitors.
It’s a typical story across the state, with nonprofits hosting bingo games seeing a decline in revenues and profits. Many organizations have dropped traditional bingo altogether in favor of pull-tab games.
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