By Christy Goodman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 19, 2008

Three businesses in North Beach and Chesapeake Beach won approval for instant-bingo licenses this week with less than two weeks remaining before state law bans the "pseudo-slot" machines.

The Calvert Board of County Commissioners approved the NG Beach Bingo licenses for Crooked I Sports Bar and Grill and the American Legion Stallings-Williams Post 206 in Chesapeake Beach. The Westlawn Inn in North Beach also received a license.

The type of license issued is the only category in the county that allows instant bingo -- which includes electronic bingo machines modeled to look like slot machines and manual pull-tab card dispensing machines -- as well as traditional bingo, said Emanuel Demedis, county attorney.

After the state's ban on most of the electronic bingo machines takes effect July 1, the license will still allow the businesses to operate the manual pull-tab dispensing machines and traditional bingo games.

"I support issuing these. I think we've waited too long," said board member Barbara A. Stinnett (D-At Large), referring to the weeks that have passed since the General Assembly addressed the issue.

This year, the county commissioners were in the process of increasing fees associated with the machines, which are legal in the Twin Beaches area, but deferred action until the legislature made a decision.

Jack Gregory, commander of American Legion Post 206, said getting the license was good for the post. However, with the new law in place, he said he is "really confused about things right now."

According to the new state law, a business that had the machines for at least a year as of Dec. 31, 2007, could keep the machines running until Jan. 1, 2009. It also requires those establishments to have held a commercial bingo license since July 1, 2007, or be a qualified organization, such as a charity or veterans group.

The legion has had the electronic machines for about 2 1/2 years, said Gregory, who added he will make sure the post's machines are in compliance.

"If they make us take out these machines, we will take out all of the lottery stuff, too, in protest," he said.

A fourth application, from IncentOvation, a Montgomery County-based firm, was denied 3 to 2 vote by the board. Only board President Wilson H. Parran (D-Huntingtown) and Stinnett voted against denying it Tuesday.

The application is for "a higher-quality" traditional call-bingo game at Crooked I, said Chris Russell, chief financial officer for IncentOvation.

"We would be purchasing the business from CCI [Entertainment]," which owns Crooked I, Russell said.

The group's proposal, which is contingent on getting the commercial bingo license, includes renovating the property to build a "high-end restaurant and lounge" with the bingo hall as an added attraction.

Board member Gerald W. Clark (R-Lusby) said that because the commissioners had just given Crooked I owners the license, he would not support a second license for the same property.

Chris Chubb, Crooked I co-owner, offered to orally withdraw his application, but that was rejected by the commissioners. Chubb declined to comment further.

A discussion of whether to transfer the license is expected next week, when the commissioners consider revisions to the fee structure for bingo licensing in the county.

The license transfer must be approved before June 30 to be of use to the prospective purchasers of Crooked I.

In another development related to the bingo operations, local groups and businesses that have both liquor licenses and the electronic bingo machines received letters this week from state Comptroller Peter Franchot (D). The letters said his office would be investigating businesses for "indications of illegal gaming in addition to any alcohol violations." Violations would be turned over to local law enforcement, the letters said.