A room full of gamblers, Texas Hold ’em players, sat with sweatshirt hoods draped over their heads and sunglasses covering their eyes, playing like
the pros on TV. But this poker tournament was in a Woodhaven bowling alley, where the top prize was $500 and 50% of the gross profits for the evening went to a local charity. In recent months — to the delight of thousands of charities and the dismay of some local and state lawmakers — a growing number of these casino-style gambling events are being held regularly, sometimes nightly, in bars and bowling alleys in communities like Rochester, Sterling Heights, Monroe, Warren, Dearborn, Waterford, Lansing and Ann Arbor. With the growing popularity of Texas Hold ’em, these charitable events are now being held in more than 120 establishments statewide and feature games like blackjack and roulette, said Tom Reich, gaming unit director for the State of Michigan’s charitable gaming division. The events are open to people 18 years of age and older. Reich said there were 4,043 Millionaire Party licenses granted by the end of 2008, up from 681 in 2004. The 2008 figure is up significantly compared with the end of the 2007 fiscal year, when nearly 2,900 licenses were issued. Charity leaders say the events — which raked in more than $10.4-million by the end of the fiscal year in September 2008 — provide a quick, easy way to get much-needed revenue at a time when donations are scarce. Lanny Hall, president of the Northwest Little League in Taylor, said the events have helped fund the nonprofit organization’s $70,000-a-year operation, including uniforms and registration fees. Hall’s group raised about $5,000 in a gaming room set up at Woodhaven Lanes and run by a private facilitator.
The state requires that the charity receive at least 50% of the gross profits of each event. Businesses that facilitate the parties and the venues where they are held often profit, too.