Published May 11, 2006 BRAZORIA — A new gaming facility moving to Brazoria might have residents, area municipalities and nonprofit organizations all yelling “bingo.” Charity Bingo, a longtime establishment in Clute, will move its operations to 801 Highway 36 in Brazoria, owner Steve Ghassemi said. Brazoria City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday night that allows the city to collect a 2 percent tax from all bingo winnings inside the city limits by way of the Texas Bingo Commission. The commission is in charge of collecting a tax rate — 5 percent of the money paid to winners. Each quarter, the commission sends 2 percent to the city, 0.5 percent to the county and the commission keeps 2.5 percent. In Texas, only nonprofit organizations legally can have bingo games, said Brazoria City Secretary Teresa Borders, who currently is serving as interim city manager. The charity organizations sponsor bingo games to raise money. “This should be good for the charity organizations that participate in this,” Borders said. “They will make money, and the city will make money.” Ghassemi has a commercial license to lease a bingo premises, and has leased a space for bingo games at 796 S. Brazosport Blvd. in Clute since the mid-1980s. He decided to move his operation to Brazoria after the space he was renting was taken over by BASF. Ghassemi will rent the space in Brazoria to local nonprofit organizations and provide the bingo supplies for $300 per day, he said. “The River’s End Fire Department makes $14,000 a year on the bingo. That is a lot better than a cookoff,” Ghassemi said. “This is something that helps the community and gives people a place to go.” River’s End Fire Department bingo coordinator Ruth Bilecki said the bingo money has allowed the department to grow. “We were nothing when we first got started, and it helped a whole lot,” Bilecki said. “We have a brand new fire truck, and we don’t depend on the county anymore.” River’s End Fire Department has rented the bingo space in Clute to sponsor games three times a week since 1989. Bilecki said the department is ready to move its games to Brazoria. “We will get all our gamers back, plus some,” Bilecki said. To sponsor a bingo event at Charity Bingo, a group must apply for a bingo license through the Texas Bingo Commission. The group must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been operating for more than three years. The nonprofit must pay a $2,500 license fee to get started. According to laws set by the commission, 35 percent of the charity’s winnings must go directly back into its general fund, Ghassemi said. The remaining 65 percent of the winnings can be used to pay for anything bingo-related, such as paying bingo operators or callers. Ghassemi said games at the new bingo space in Brazoria will begin two to three weeks after the commission approves his application to switch locations. “These days it is more expensive to go see a movie than play bingo,” Ghassemi said. “And who knows — you might get lucky.” Bridget Brown is a reporter for The Facts. Contact her at (979) 237-0149.