With the recent ruling to allow slots in Pennsylvania, many charities are concerned that bingo gamblers will turn to slot machines instead of bingo. The House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee is considering raising regular game limits from $250 to $500 for each game, hiking jackpots up from $2,000 to $2,500, and raising nightly limits to $5,000 up from $4,000.

According to Pete Pickel, Captain of the Lower Swatara Township Fire Department, the change should have been made years ago. The firehouse’s expenses are paid for mainly by bingo proceeds, which are $30,000 to $35,000 each year. Representative Robert Godshall is sponsoring the bill in order to help struggling fire departments, citing the need to raise limits from the limits set in 1981.

Godshall said that it’s necessary to raise the limits slowly to keep other politicians from becoming concerned over the risks of bingo gambling. When bills have suggested nightly limits as high as $8,000, too many gambling opponents raised concerns. Godshall said that he was more concerned with getting a bill through than with making the full adjustment immediately.

Concern over the slot machines is not unfounded, according to Michael McLaughlin, a spokesman for Allied Charities of Pennsylvania. Legalizing slots in Nebraska lowered bingo revenues by around 45%.

There is already concern over bingo players taking busses out to West Virginia where bingo jackpots are as high as $25,000. While many charities advocate raising the jackpots and nightly limits, smaller bingo operations have raised concerns that they would be unable to compete with larger organizations unless they are allowed to have other games of chance.