43
State may consider oversight of Queen of hearts games
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The head of a lawmaker panel considering changes to Ohio’s gaming laws said Tuesday that the state should consider legislation to ensure Queen of Hearts and similar drawings are conducted properly.
Barry Dyngles, an Austintown pub, garnered international attention last month when its Queen of Hearts drawing reached a prize totaling $1.8 million.
Sen. Bill Coley, R-Butler County, suggested allowing the state’s casino control commission to develop rules for such games.
“No one really has jurisdiction to make sure that those Queen of Hearts games are done correctly,” Coley said. “I’m sure Barry Dyngles did it correctly, but we should make sure we have rules that everybody who wants to operate such a promotion knows what the rules are and how to do it correctly.”
Coley offered the comments after a meeting of the Joint Committee on Gaming and Wagering.
Among other issues, Coley voiced concern about Ohio’s current regulatory setup – namely, that four separate offices oversee casino, horse racing, lottery and charitable gaming.
“I’m not aware of other states that believe that that’s a successful model,” he said. “That’s one of the things we’re looking at.”
But Queen of Hearts and similar games fall outside of all four of those offices and are not regulated under current state law.
The game involves a board containing 54 cards – 52 regular cards plus two jokers – face down and numbered. Patrons buy $1 tickets for a chance to pick a card number, with hopes of revealing the Queen of Hearts and winning the pooled prize money. Funds are rolled over and new drawings are conducted week after week until the game is won.
Austintown Township Trustee and former state Rep. Ken Carano, who testified at Tuesday’s hearing at the Statehouse, said it’s one of only a handful of times that Queen of Hearts totals have reached more than $300,000.
The game has been deemed legal, though it is subject to regulation by the state’s liquor control office, inspector general and tax officials. County prosecutors also could pursue legal action if they believe laws have been broken. Otherwise, there are no state requirements for the games.
Coley said Tuesday he’s leaning toward legislation to grant the existing casino control commission authority to draft rules regulating Queen of Hearts.
The commission then would have “the ability to supervise and give them rule-making authority to make sure things are done correctly,” Coley said, adding, “This is a gap in the Ohio Revised Code that might need addressing.”
The change and any other recommendations from the Joint Committee on Gaming and Wagering will be released as part of a report next month, after which lawmakers would have to formally introduce legislation.
Carano urged lawmakers to ensure any resulting changes would not hamper Queen of Hearts and comparable games, which help to boost businesses’ receipts.
Barry Dyngles’ drawing drew thousands of people to Austintown. Carano said he knows of nine other businesses offering Queen of Hearts.
“The whole idea of Queen of Hearts is economic development,” he said. “The idea is that you play a game to entice people to come into your community and your establishment. It works well.”
He added, “I ask you to be very diligent with the idea that if you’re going to set up rules, set them up so you don’t squelch all the other 50-50 drawings.”