Some Texas Nonprofits Go Bankrupt Playing Bingo

Charity bingo in Texas has led to the loss of profits for some charities and may point to larger issues of corruption in certain management companies, says CBS 11 News.

In Texas, charity bingo is supposed to benefit nonprofit groups, as bingo halls can’t function without a nonprofit’s involvement. Yet there is no state rule that states how much a charity should receive from bingo events.

In examining tax filings, CBS 11 News found at least one management company named dead or incapacitated veterans as event participants. The companies pocketed the profits for themselves and left little or nothing to the sponsoring charities.

Additionally, CBS 11 found that out of 26 nonprofit organizations operating out of Players Bingo Hall in Dallas, 20 are veteran-based and all of them have some connection to a man named Charles Hutchings. Mr. Hutchings runs a management company that oversees Players Bingo Hall and a second hall, AmVet Bingo in Oak Cliff. Mr. Hutchings refused to comment, and records indicate that none of the halls Mr. Hutchings oversees or the charities that play out of them have been audited in more than four years.