Monday, December 18, 2006

Kannapolis bingo parlor is under investigation for illegal gambling after a
search by the North Carolina Alcohol and Law Enforcement agency. The Rowan
REACT Team Bingo at 1912 N. Main St. was investigated by officers Dec. 9.
Officers collected evidence from the game. The operators, Cherry and Bobby
Snipes, were ticketed for gambling, according to Rowan County Department of
Justice court records. The crime is a misdemeanor. Cherry Snipes was listed
as a secretary and Bob Snipes was listed as a chaplain in the report.
According to a search warrant, the Snipes were paying out offerings of more
than $2,500 in prizes during one bingo session. Court documents state that
officers received complaints about a game within the bingo parlor's normally
scheduled game. That game had a progressive jackpot, which is illegal and
constitutes gambling, the records state. Before the search Dec. 9, officers
had been called to the bingo parlor. Court records state that an undercover
officer went into the business Aug. 27 and purchased four packs of bingo
player sheets for $20. A document by Agent R.B. Putnam states. "During the
'early games' there were declared winners of these games. I never saw a
check wrote out at the counter, I never saw a check given to the winner, I
saw cash money exchanged between the counter and the bingo runners and the
runners paid cash to the winners of these games." Bingo is allowed in North
Carolina. But under the State of North Carolina Bingo Law bingo games are to
be held so that the maximum net proceeds are used by a charitable or
nonprofit group. "The only justification for this part is to support such
charitable, nonprofit causes," the law states. "And such purposes should be
carried out to prevent the operation of bingo by professionals for profit,
prevent commercialized gambling, prevent the disguise of bingo and other
game forms or promotional schemes." The maximum amount of prize in cash or
merchandise that can be paid for any one game of bingo is $500, the law
states. The most that can be paid out during a single session is $1,500.
Court records state that the Rowan REACT Team Bingo is alleged to have
offered or payed out more than $2,500 in prizes during one session of bingo.
During the search Dec. 9, officers collected $1,598.40 from the bingo game.
The cash was collected as evidence in the case. Records show that the Snipes
have a scheduled court date of Feb. 7 in Rowan County. Cherry Snipes said
that she called the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agency herself.
Snipes said that other bingo halls do the same type of activities she and
her husband are accused of and that prompted them to allow players to play
extra games, so that they wouldn't go to rival bingo halls.