Charitable gaming takes a success in Indiana, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating a a long time lengthy decline. (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)
Charitable gaming — as soon as a juggernaut in Indiana — has declined in recent times as a result of challenges navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing provide chain disruptions and inflation, with many organizations closing down fully.
Small organizations, specifically, struggled essentially the most throughout these lean months, and plenty of are nonetheless making an attempt to get better.
Kendra Waymira has labored at American Legion Put up #437, in Selma, on and off for the final twenty years, overseeing the group’s charitable gaming actions. The cash helps preserve their bodily location – protecting constructing upkeep and utility payments – and likewise offers again to the neighborhood, sponsoring center faculty college students’ annual journey to Washington D.C.
“We do make an honest revenue margin with it. If we didn’t have playing, we wouldn’t be capable to assist as many veterans. We wouldn’t be capable to assist anyone in our neighborhood – like if anyone’s home burned down or if there was a household that had gone all the way down to a single revenue,” Waymira stated.
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Although the recognition of gaming has waxed and waned over time, Waymira stated the hit from COVID-19 was “the worst” she’d seen.
“Since COVID, individuals simply don’t are available in and now that costs are rising… I imply, persons are actually reducing again as a result of they don’t have that cash to gamble,” Waymira stated. “I want to see a rebound and get again to the place we had been, see patrons coming in and numbers coming in and (patrons) having the ability to spend more cash playing.”
Waymira and her group aren’t alone. Since COVID-19 hit Indiana in 2020, charitable gaming numbers have fallen, all the way down to $326 million for 2021 in gross receipts in comparison with $433 million in 2019. That could be a 24% decline.
Leaders with the Indiana Gaming Fee’s charity gaming division acknowledged the declining variety of license requests, which they oversee and audit for compliance.
However Mark Mason, the assistant director, famous the extra burden of provide chain issues within the “paper-intensive” enterprise.”
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Paper merchandise may embody bingo playing cards or raffle tickets, which charitable gaming organizations should buy from authorised distributors in response to state regulation. However Mason stated that two established distributors went out of enterprise in the previous couple of months.
“Once I hear from a corporation, once I discuss to them, they’re not speaking in regards to the pandemic anymore. What they’re involved about now’s getting the availability to proceed doing their gaming,” Mason stated. “That doesn’t imply that locations are failing – we’ve obtained teams which are recovering they usually’re doing fairly nicely – however the smaller organizations are those which are involved (with if) they’ll be capable to survive.”
What’s driving the decline in charitable gaming?
In a five-year evaluation performed by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, charitable gaming noticed a small dip in 2017 earlier than falling considerably in 2020 and 2021.
However long-time gaming analyst, Ed Feigenbaum, famous it has been in a sluggish decline since not less than 2009, when it hit $538 million in gross receipts. Gross receipts in 2021 hit $326 million, simply $15 million greater than 1994, when charitable recreation first began.
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“I used to be shocked once I opened the report and noticed a number of acquainted names not in there and noticed it was a really skinny report,” Feigenbaum stated.
Particularly, bingo used to attract massive crowds and thousands and thousands in income however now lags behind different video games, particularly raffle video games, which routinely see high-dollar payouts. For Feigenbaum, a lot of that has to do with the demographics of charitable players.
“Bingo was principally a recreation for the older demographic and we’re shedding that older demographic… Child boomers are in all probability the final bastion,” Feigenbaum stated. “And COVID actually killed bingo when it comes to being a social exercise.”
Being a part of an older demographic put bingo members at extra danger for dying from COVID-19, particularly within the time earlier than vaccines mitigated that hazard.
Jennifer Reske, deputy director of the Indiana Gaming Fee, stated many organizations additionally pivoted to raffle video games over bingo as a result of they’re much less labor intensive and require fewer individuals to run occasion.
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“Memberships in organizations are declining and due to that they should discover methods to conduct actions that match inside their new atmosphere,” Reske stated.
Feigenbaum stated all gaming organizations are rethinking their method to attracting clients, even for-profit casinos.
“Casinos had been constructed on a unique mannequin; they had been constructed on the mannequin of the blue-haired previous girl coming in to tug that massive lever down on the slot machine,” Feigenbaum stated. “(Millennials), perhaps even these 10 years older… they’re not taken with that form of solitary play.”
He famous that even Las Vegas, the historic heart of gaming, provided various types of leisure, together with residences with pop artists like Adele, particular themed nightclubs and all-inclusive resorts.
“To a sure extent in Vegas, the casinos are incidental,” Feigenbaum stated.
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What’s subsequent for charitable gaming?
When requested about the way forward for gaming, Reske stated the Charity Gaming Division doesn’t conduct its personal analysis or evaluation however continues to deal with aiding non-profit organizations with their gaming actions.
“We’re not going to attenuate the challenges they face – I believe they’ve been vital,” Reske stated. “We’ll proceed to work with organizations and hearken to them and do our greatest to proceed to offer (that) service.”
As an example, in 2019 the company labored with legislators to streamline the licensing course of to assist organizations.
Feigenbaum detailed a number of the adjustments he’d seen within the total gaming trade, together with the addition of sports activities betting, which attracts a youthful viewers than conventional playing.
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With regard to charitable gaming, few observers can neglect the 2016 raffle jackpot that hit $1.89 million in Washington, at an area Knights of Columbus affiliate. The “Treasure Hunt” raffle occasion, now utilized by a number of charitable organizations, can draw lots of of spectators over the course of a number of weeks and drive prizes skyward.
“It’s a unique trade than it was a number of years in the past and it’s going to need to evolve much more,” Feigenbaum stated.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an impartial, not-for-profit information group that covers state authorities, coverage and elections.
How does a team shake off its first loss of the season while facing a top-15 program that also has a lot to prove following its first defeat?
Ask Gonzaga men’s basketball head coach Mark Few — he and his coaching staff appeared to have all the answers to guide the Bulldogs to an 89-73 victory over No. 14 Indiana on Thursday to advance to the Battle 4 Atlantis fifth-place game.
The Zags (5-1) didn’t waste any time putting their overtime defeat to West Virginia behind them, as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead over the Hoosiers (4-2) in the first couple of minutes before taking a double-digit lead into halftime. Oumar Ballo kept Indiana in the fight early on to make it a 1-point game nearing the 9-minute mark in the first half, yet despite the former Zag’s efforts, Gonzaga capitalized on second-chance opportunities and transition points to go on a 21-2 scoring run, highlighted by an alley-oop dunk from Khalif Battle. The sixth-year guard led his team with 16 points and grabbed five rebounds, while five of his teammates scored in double figures, thanks in large part to Ryan Nembhard’s 13 assists.
With the win, Gonzaga will play the winner of Providence/Davidson in the fifth place on Friday at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST.
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Here are three takeaways from the victory.
BULLDOGS IMPOSE THEIR WILL DOWN LOW
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (99) celebrates with Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Ben Gregg (33) after scoring during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Braden Huff noted the Bulldogs didn’t have much of a presence in the paint in their loss to the Mountaineers. The Zags went a season-worst 19-of-44 (43.2%) from inside the arc and never established themselves on the low block, instead settling for 3-pointers when their first action didn’t lead to a score from 5 feet out.
Ballo and 6-foot-9 forward Mackenzie Mgbako posed a different kind of challenge, though, despite a hot start from Ballo, who scored 17 of his team’s first 31 points, Gonzaga’s bigs controlled the interior and the boards in totality. The Zags outrebounded the Hoosiers, 42-27, and outscored their opposition, 23-4, in second-chance points.
“Our bigs did a good job,” Few said after the game. “That’s the first team we played that’s kind of like us — likes to throw the ball inside a lot, really ducks in and really puts a lot of foul pressure on you. We were in massive foul trouble in the first half. Got in even more trouble in the second half. But they kept playing. They kept repeating and moving them in and out of there, and they were able to stay in the game.”
Ballo gave the Hoosiers a much-needed spark after they fell into an 8-0 hole. The 7-foot-tall, 237-pound redshirt senior nailed a few right-handed hook shots to put his team in position to compete with the No. 3-ranked team in the country. Ballo led all scorers with 25 points.
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“Clearly he’s gotten a lot better,” Few said of Ballo. “I mean that was what six years ago [when Ballo arrived to Gonzaga as a freshman]? He’s older, he’s gotten in great shape. I’m happy for him. That right-handed hook was going tonight but we were OK with that. We just didn’t want him to get a whole lot of stuff between us and the basket.”
Michael Ajayi had his best game as a Zag, recording 15 points and nine rebounds on 5-of-9 from the field, while Ike finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Ben Gregg added 13 points off the bench and held down the center spot while Ike and Huff had to sit on the bench due to foul trouble in the second half.
AN EMPHATIC RESPONSE
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (99) celebrates with Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) after scoring during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Gonzaga’s players looked ready to flush away the dramatic loss to WVU the moment they stepped off the floor Wednesday. Having a short memory is somewhat necessary when playing three games in as many days, regardless of the final score. Safe to say the Bulldogs embraced that mentality heading into Thursday’s consolation game.
“There’s a lot you say in a 24-hour period like that,” Few said in regard to how he addressed his team in wake of their loss to WVU. “We talked about how in a game like the other night, comes down to one or two possessions, we’ve got to be able to execute, especially on defense. I didn’t feel like we played very good ‘D’ last night.”
The Zags flipped the script on that end of the floor against the Hoosiers. While Ballo was rolling down low, his teammates weren’t creating much on offense from the perimeter. Indiana’s starting backcourt of Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle combined for 12 points on 4-of-14 from the field. Malik Reneau, who led the way with 21 points against the Cardinals, put up a goose egg in the first half before ending the night with a quiet six points in 24 minutes of action.
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ONTO PROVIDENCE/DAVIDSON
Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Zags can enjoy the rest of their Thanksgiving holiday while they await their opponent for tomorrow’s fifth-place game at 5:30 p.m. PST. Gonzaga will face the winner of Providence (5-1) vs. Davidson (4-1) to conclude its trip in The Bahamas.
The Friars nearly completed a wild comeback against Oklahoma in the final minutes of their quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday. The Sooners led by nine points with 44 seconds left but missed free throws and a traveling violation made it a 2-point game in the final seconds. Wesley Cardet Jr. had 17 points, Jayden Pierre and Bensley Joseph 16 each and Corey Floyd Jr. put up 13 for Providence.
The Wildcats got blown out, 104-71, by No. 24 Arizona on Wednesday. Connor Kochera tallied 20 points and Bobby Durbin nailed five 3s for Davidson, which went 38% from the field.
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A pair of AP Top 25 teams look to bounce back from their first letdowns of the season on Thursday when No. 3 Gonzaga takes on No. 14 Indiana in the Battle 4 Atlantis event from The Bahamas.
The Bulldogs (5-1) were less than 30 seconds away from advancing to the semifinal round before West Virginia mounted a swift comeback in the final seconds behind Tucker DeVries, who sunk two free throws in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime. The Mountaineers held the Zags to 2-of-10 from the field in the extra period to come away victorious, 84-78, over the No. 3-ranked program in the country. Gonzaga also led by eight points at halftime and by double-digits at the 18:35 mark in the second half.
Braden Huff’s 19 points led his team, followed by Khalif Battle with 16 points. Javon Small scored a season-high 31 points for West Virginia, which went 14-of-28 (50.0%) from the field in the second half.
The Hoosiers (4-1) are looking to rebound from Wednesday’s 89-61 loss to Louisville in their Battle 4 Atlantis opener on Wednesday. Malik Reneau led Indiana with 21 points while former Zag Oumar Ballo recorded 11 points and six rebounds.
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The Bulldogs and Hoosiers have met four times before, all at neutral sites, with the series split at 2-2. The two last met in the 2008 Hartford Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the Zags came out on top, 70-54.
The winner of Thursday’s game plays at noon PST on Friday in the third-place game. Loser plays at 8 a.m. PST in the seventh-place game.
HOW TO WATCH GONZAGA VS. INDIANA
Who: Gonzaga and Indiana meet in the consolation bracket of the 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis
When: 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. EST | Thursday, Nov. 28
Where: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort | Nassau, Bahamas
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TV: ESPN2
2024 Battle 4 Atlantis Schedule:
Nov. 28 – Semifinals
Noon ET – Louisville vs. West Virginia
2:30 p.m. ET – Gonzaga vs. Indiana
5 p.m. ET – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
7:30 p.m. ET – Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser (consolation bracket)
Detroit Pistons (8-12, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (9-10, seventh in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Friday, 8 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -8; over/under is 228.5
BOTTOM LINE: Indiana will try to keep its four-game home win streak alive when the Pacers face Detroit.
The Pacers are 1-1 against division opponents. Indiana has a 4-3 record against teams over .500.
The Pistons are 0-4 against the rest of their division. Detroit gives up 112.0 points to opponents and has been outscored by 2.5 points per game.
The Pacers make 48.6% of their shots from the field this season, which is 3.1 percentage points higher than the Pistons have allowed to their opponents (45.5%). The Pacers average 109.5 points per game, 8.0 fewer points than the 117.5 the Pacers allow.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 assists for the Pacers.
Cade Cunningham is averaging 23.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.9 assists for the Pistons.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 5-5, averaging 115.1 points, 40.4 rebounds, 27.3 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.5 points per game.
Pistons: 4-6, averaging 111.1 points, 47.2 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 6.3 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.5 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: out (ankle), Andrew Nembhard: out (knee), Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), James Wiseman: out for season (calf), Ben Sheppard: out (oblique).
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Pistons: Bobi Klintman: out (calf), Tobias Harris: day to day (hip), Cade Cunningham: day to day (hip).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
