Senior Citizen Card Games Given Pass

By Mike Perleberg (Delaware County, Ind.) - Indiana Governor Mike Pence says the state won’t go after senior citizens’ card games. The Delaware County Senior Center hosted euchre games in which seniors paid just a dollar or two to play and have a chance at winning cookies and toilet paper. Last week, the Indiana Gaming Commission contacted the senior center after receiving a complaint. The commission said that the card games constituted gambling, according to The Muncie Star Press. The gaming commission’s executive director, Sara Tait, says the agency never planned to take action against the senior center. Judy Elton, director of the Delaware County Senior Center, said the center was given about $1 of the $2.50 fee collected by the euchre club. The thrice-weekly sessions each generated about $30 for the center. "We're not talking about a great deal of money here," Elton said. A spokesperson for Pence said the governor has directed the Indiana Gaming Commission to make sure it does not have any plans to shut down euchre card games at the Delaware County Senior Citizens Center or to take enforcement action against them. “He has asked the Commission to review its procedures to ensure common sense prevails when reviewing complaints and concerns,” the spokeswoman said. Delaware County’s prosecutor said he does not consider the senior center’s card games to be “real egregious.” The situation has prompted some to call for changes to the state gaming laws to allow such low-stakes card games to be played without state licensing.