Daniels v. Bureau of State Lottery

296 N.W.2d 324, 98 Mich. App. 628, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2783
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 18, 1980
DocketDocket No. 43639
StatusPublished

This text of 296 N.W.2d 324 (Daniels v. Bureau of State Lottery) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Daniels v. Bureau of State Lottery, 296 N.W.2d 324, 98 Mich. App. 628, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2783 (Mich. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

Beasley, P.J.

In response to plaintiffs suit for a declaratory judgment, the Ingham County Circuit Court held for plaintiff and found that a rule promulgated by the Bingo Division of the Bureau of State Lottery (hereinafter referred to as Bureau) limiting a particular location or premises to not more than five bingo games a week exceeded the rule-making authority extended to the Bureau under the statute and directed the Bureau to "grant approval to qualified bingo licensees to hold , bingo games at the plaintiffs hall if the hall was in compliance with other validly promulgated rules and regulations”. Defendant appeals as of right.

Since, initially, the issues raised by defendant involve statutory interpretation, we refer in detail to the statute.

In 1972, the Legislature, among other things, passed two bills, one establishing a state lottery and the other providing for the licensing of nonprofit organizations to conduct charitable bingo.* 1

A Bureau of State Lottery was created and a commissioner appointed to administer the state lottery and charitable bingo under the two stat[631]*631utes.2 The statutory plan for charitable bingo limited licenses to qualified organizations which were defined as bona fide religious, educational, service, senior citizens, fraternal, or veterans organizations operating without proñt to its members and in existence continuously for five years or exempt from taxation under specified statutes.3

Among other things, the applicant was required to indicate the location at which bingo would be conducted and the day of the week on which bingo would be conducted.4 Upon compliance with the statutory requirements, the commissioner issues a license.

The statute specifically provides "[a] licensee may hold only 1 license and that license is valid for only 1 location.”5 (Emphasis added.) The statute also provides that the bingo license must be conspicuously displayed at the location where bingo is conducted, and the license must provide as follows:

"Each bingo license shall contain the name and address of the licensee, the location at which the licensee is permitted to conduct bingo, the day of the week on which the licensee is permitted to conduct bingo and the expiration date of the license.”6

The statute provides for special licenses, which type of license is not sought by plaintifF.7

Another section of the statute provides that the entire net proceeds of the bingo games shall be [632]*632devoted exclusively to the lawful purposes of the licensee. The statute specifically provides:

"* * * An item of expense shall not be incurred or paid in connection with the holding, operating, or conducting of bingo * * * except the following bona fide expenses in reasonable amounts:
"(a) The purchase or rental of equipment necessary for conducting bingo * * * and payment of services reasonably necessary for the repair of equipment.
"(b) Cash prizes or the purchase of prizes of merchandise
"(c) Rental of the location at which bingo * * * is conducted.
"(d) Janitorial services. * * *
"(f) Other reasonable expenses incurred by the licensee, not inconsistent with this act, as permitted by rule of the commissioner.” (Emphasis added.)8

Further provision is made that "[a] person other than a bona fide member of the licensee may not participate in the management of bingo * * This section also provides other limitations upon persons who may participate in the operation of bingo and upon any commission, salary, pay, profit or wage for participating in the management of bingo, all being expressly limited to that permitted by rule of the commissioner.9

Section 13 provides as follows:

"(1) The commissioner shall promulgate rules to implement this act * * *.
"(3) Rules or temporary rules adopted and promulgated by the commissioner shall insure the integrity and honest operation of bingo games * * * and shall be consistent with the legislative objective that bingo * * * [633]*633shall be conducted in a friendly, social, and noncommercial manner. ” (Emphasis added.)10

Section 14 provides for inspection and audit of the books of licensees as follows:

"* * * (3) the location at which the bingo * * * is being conducted or at which an applicant or licensee intends to conduct the bingo * * * shall be open to inspection at all times by a duly authorized employee of the bureau or by the state police or a peace officer of a political subdivision of the state.”11

Section 19 provides:

"Any other law providing a penalty or disability upon a person who conducts or participates in bingo games * * *, who sells or possesses equipment used in conducting bingo * * *, who permits bingo * * * to be conducted on his premises, or who does other acts in connection with bingo * * * shall not apply to such conduct when done pursuant to this act or rules promulgated under this act.” (Emphasis added.)12

We refer in detail to these provisions of the bingo act in order that they may be understood in their proper historical perspective. Until 1972, the Michigan Constitution prohibited the Legislature from authorizing a lottery. On May 16, 1972, at a special election, the electorate ratified an amendment to the constitution providing:

"Sec. 41. The legislature may authorize lotteries and permit the sale of lottery tickets in the manner provided by law.” Const 1963, art 4, § 41._

[634]*634Then, the Legislature passed the bingo act, some provisions of which we have set forth above. Prior to passage of the bingo act in 1972, controversy surrounded the legality, or illegality, of charitable bingo. Enforcement rested upon the whim of officials in a particular community. E.g., see the 1949 case of Society of Good Neighbors v Mayor of Detroit.13 The 1972 bingo act undertook to dispel the confusion and to legalize charitable bingo, but only under the extensive strictures of the statute.

Thus, the Bureau promulgated rules to implement the statute, not only with respect to statutory licensees (qualified organizations) but also with respect to the hall landlords of the licensees.

The rule in question here provides:

"432.117(7). A single premise shall not be used for more than 5 regular bingo occasions each week. A single premise includes all components or buildings comprising 1 architectural entity or serving a unified functional purpose.”14

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Related

Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Public Service Commission
228 N.W.2d 843 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1975)
Thomas Bros, Inc v. Secretary of State
282 N.W.2d 273 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1979)
Society of Good Neighbors v. Mayor of Detroit
36 N.W.2d 308 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
296 N.W.2d 324, 98 Mich. App. 628, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2783, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daniels-v-bureau-of-state-lottery-michctapp-1980.