Miramichi — The Miramichi Bingo Association board of directors made a strategic move last night in a decision to no longer offer cash prizes, and instead give out straight spirits and cartons of cigarettes. The vote was 18:2 in favour of this change. Local liquor stores have cut a deal with the Miramichi Bingo Association making it profitable both for Bingo-goers by providing bigger prizes, and for the overarching community by stimulating the economy with alcohol sales.
Here at The Manatee, we aim to be the first to bring you up-to-the-minute news in your community, and so we went to a local game of Bingo to see what the excitement was all about.
After walking through a huge cloud of smoke, we finally reached the interior of the Bingo hall, first allowing our eyes to adjust to the fluorescent magnificence of the room. It wasn’t until we took an inventory of the different varieties of potato chips, scanned the countless TVs and gazed over the neon ocean of dabbers, that we were finally ready to jump in and ask for opinions on the proposed change. Most people we interviewed love the idea, and many are applauding the change, noting the gas savings, as they will no longer have to drive to 2 separate locations to purchase the new prize items outright.
“That’s what you call one-stop shopping right there, I tell ya!” exclaimed Terry Trozzo. Like Trozzo, most Bingo-lovers in the area are rejoicing. There are a handful of Miramichiers, however, who are not on board, such as Jane Lejeuer. “There are a select few of us who travel from Harcourt — the Bingo Chaser Gals,” she said, “and we would like to see some of them there gas cards up for grabs, too.”
An ecstatic Miramichi Bingo Association plans to implement the change immediately, and noted that more big changes are on the horizon. For example, the association said they have a dream to one day build an all-you-can-eat, 24-hour Bingo complex within the city. Possible locations discussed include next to the new 55+ developments, or across from the Miramichi Regional Hospital.
Lastly, in an exclusive Manatee interview, a senior board member hinted at the possibility of “Sunday Dinner”-scented Bingo cards to increase concession sales during game play. When asked about the scents, we were told that pot roast, roast chicken and fish cakes are the top 3 contenders at this time. We sure hope those dabbers will come in a mustard pickle scent, because that sounds like an amazing opportunity for Miramichi!