After much debate, the Connecticut legislature passed a law allowing senior citizen organizations to raise bingo jackpots from $5 to $20. The General Assembly voted unanimously to raise the prize values, and Governor M Jodi Rell signed it into law.

Two years ago, a bill to raise prizes to $50 was defeated, but bingo players have been requesting higher jackpots since then. Senior centers have seen a decline in bingo players over the past several years, and many organizers believe that the decline is due to low prize values. They hope that the new law will bring the bingo players back in and raise revenues.

Licensed senior centers will be able to institute the higher jackpots without any new licensing.