CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The topic of game rooms in the Coastal Bend has sparked conversation about the current regulation of bingo halls.
Wednesday, 3News reported how Nueces County Commissioners voted to implement new regulations towards legal game rooms.
Some changes could included a restriction in hours of operation and limiting where game rooms are allowed within county lines.
Commissioners agreed on changes Wednesday night, which include requiring armed personnel for game room security. Additionally, 130 game rooms will be allowed to operate in Nueces County. The new regulations only apply to legal game rooms who have applied to operate in the county.
One regulation that will stay the same is the maximum number of machines a game room can have, which will stay at 200 game machines. Residents have already showed their support for the game room regulations that have been put into place.
"And let me tell you, I want to be able to play here in town," said one area resident. "I travel to Eagle Pass, I travel to win star, I travel to Louisiana. Why should I have to do that if I can gamble here and my money stay in this community? Why regulations? Because no one has done anything. I'm looking at five people up there. Five people that we elected to take care of us."
However, game room owners weren't the only people in attendance who were advocating for Bingo.
"Charitable bingo did not get what they want," said one bingo business advocate. "They came here to ask for a fair playing field which is, we are regulated by the state of Texas, we have operating hours, the money disbursed it mandated by the state, we can only play three sessions per week, not seven days a week and all we ask is for a level playing field."
Game room advocate Clara Ramos drove from Victoria to Corpus Christi to show her support for fewer game room regulations. She doesn't want history to repeat itself.
"The game rooms were shut down and had to be outside of the county of Victoria and it's a shame because people use it as entertainment," Ramos said. "Especially the elderly who are at home by themselves who have no one to talk to. That's where they go."
According to Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales, everything boils down to making sure protocols are in place and everyone is on the same page regarding game room regulations.
"It was our starting point and it was our framework that we needed to do every thing we wanted to do," Canales said. "If there's a way to have a game room that's legal, they're going to be able to do that. If it's not, law enforcement is going to come your way."
The game room revisions are not final until the court officially signs off on it. County officials are hoping to look at the final draft on May 11.
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