The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska will soon offer bingo at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall.
The Tribe announced plans this week to hold bingo every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting May 9. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and games will run from 7 to 10 p.m. They’ll also sell pulltabs.
Proceeds will support the Tribe’s statewide programs, including scholarships and elderly services.
The Tribe’s Community Council already runs bingo in Twin Lakes, but those proceeds can only fund services for tribal members who live in Juneau. If the Central Council runs bingo, proceeds can benefit tribal members no matter where they live.
“Bingo is just one more way we are pursuing economic sovereignty and broadening the Tribe’s reach to better serve our citizens beyond Southeast Alaska,” President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson said in a statement.
Janice Hotch, the Tribe’s business and economic development director, said more bingo also means a return to normalcy for elders.
“For them, it’s a fun gathering place to see friends,” she said in an interview. “During the pandemic, all of that was taken away from them. I think we’re providing an opportunity for that gathering.”
Before the pandemic, Hotch said, Juneau residents could play bingo seven days a week, alternating between the Tribe’s game nights others, like those hosted by Filipino Community, Inc.
FilCom hosts bingo on Thursdays and Sundays. Bingo Manager Cyla Garcia said she’s worried about competing for Thursday night players.
“Our numbers are going to be greatly impacted,” Garcia said. “Our hall is already small. We don’t have a big crowd over there sometimes. It’s very concerning.”
Hotch said she hopes bingo players continue to support all organizations that host games.
“We hope that folks will visit our bingo and all the other bingos, because certainly there is a need out there and it’s all charitable gaming,” she said.
The Tribe is hiring six new staff to run the games at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall.
