Local News
Bingo Zone goes private
A sign on the newly-tinted glass doors at the Bingo Zone declared the facility is now a private club open only to members and their guests.
How do you become a member? Just ask, according to Hershel Blanton, chairman of the board of the Laurel County Fire Department, which owns and operates the Bingo Zone.
Blanton said the Bingo Zone’s status as a private club has been on file since 2005 when the paperwork to renew the assumed name was filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State. While Bingo Zone’s status was private, it remained open to the public. That changed when the London City Council passed the ordinance banning smoking in public buildings on Aug. 3. At that time, the Bingo Zone board elected to take advantage of its private status.
“We did it because of the smoking ban,” Blanton said.
Blanton said he is not implying the ordinance does not apply to the Bingo Zone, only that the board made the decision because of the ordinance.
City Attorney Larry Bryson said the ordinance does not provide any type of exemption for private clubs.
“There is no mention of private clubs, but they are included,” Bryson said.
Individual violators are subject to a $200 fine plus $154 court costs. In addition, the business owner will be cited for each individual found smoking and subjected to the same fine and court costs.
Blanton said sessions at the Bingo Zone draw approximately 200 to 300 people, 75 to 80 percent of whom are smokers. If there are 300 people at a session and 80 percent of them are smoking, that means 240 people are smoking. Officials at the Bingo Zone could receive citations and fines totaling $84,960.
Blanton declined to comment when asked what officials will do if the Bingo Zone is cited.
According to the ordinance, it is the duty of the building inspector and the police to enforce the ordinance.
City officials have said the ordinance will be enforced on a complaint basis. London Mayor Troy Rudder, London Police Lt. Stewart Walker and Building Inspector Doug Gilbert have not reported receiving any complaints.
“If we receive a complaint, we will answer the complaint and enforce the ordinance,” Walker said.
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