‘Threat’ cancels group’s major Giant Bingo plan

A “credible threat” has forced Softball Yukon to cancel Saturday’s Giant Bingo.

By Chuck Tobin on December 18, 2015

A “credible threat” has forced Softball Yukon to cancel Saturday’s Giant Bingo.

Softball Yukon president George Arcand said Thursday afternoon the non-profit organization was made aware of a threat against the bingo on Wednesday.

While Arcand did not disclose the exact nature of the threat, he did dismiss any relation to terrorism.

Rather, he suggested, the curious should think about how much money is involved at the annual event.

The RCMP, he said, have been contacted.

“We have information of a credible threat against the bingo,” he said. “All we know is if there is any chance of things going wrong, any chance of somebody getting hurt, we do not want to take that chance.”

Arcand said the Giant Bingo was a major fundraiser but it was also a way for Softball Yukon to say thanks to those bingo players who support the organization throughout the year.

In the five or six years it’s been held, the event has raised anywhere from $4,000 to $18,000 for Softball Yukon, he told the Star.

Arcand said entry is $100 and the individual games pay off at $500, with the jackpot game worth $9,500. The bonanza at the end of the night can also be around $10,000, he said.

RCMP spokeswoman Julia Fox said this morning the police are not in a position to comment on the threat.

The Giant Bingo has been held in the Yukon Convention Centre, with somewhere around 500 or so players buying in.

Comments (9)

Up 13 Down 2

Bingo Player on Dec 23, 2015 at 4:34 pm

I have played bingo for many years and there was time when one of the Bingos was robbed while we were playing and let me tell you it did not take long for the players to chase after the thief and run him down and catch him! We held him down until the police came and were able to carry on with our game and the person who caught the thief was rewarded with a prize from all the the host of the bingo with the consent of the players that night. It was a welcome sight to see the players join together that night and let me tell you that thief was pretty scared when there was close to a hundred players chasing him!

Up 21 Down 37

Scrooge on Dec 21, 2015 at 2:59 pm

Pat on your backs - you have saved these people to buy more Christmas presents for their families. Bingo is cancelled it's not the end of the world, go spend time with your family instead,

Up 45 Down 10

Stu Whatman on Dec 21, 2015 at 11:55 am

They should have had the RCMP park a car outside the front door and a couple of officers inside. We should not have to hide from potential threats.

Up 22 Down 4

Hoby Irwin on Dec 20, 2015 at 1:58 pm

@C'mon Where did you get the idea it was an ISIS threat? There are lots of others out there that would do this just to mess people up. You are fear mongering without evidence.

Up 33 Down 6

Discretion on Dec 19, 2015 at 7:02 pm

Word is around that there may have recently been some things going on in Whitehorse that have been kept out of the news. If there is any substance to that this action may have been a wise move.

Up 21 Down 2

June Jackson on Dec 19, 2015 at 1:57 pm

I think, if I were a criminal, I might think twice about robbing a bingo hall. I mean.. those bingo players can be a vicious bunch... Until you have heard someone bellow "SLOW DOWN WHERE'S THE FIRE?" You haven't heard a threat in a voice..and if they are waiting for one number, and someone tried to rob the place? That thief would have, George said 500 people play.. so.. he'd have 500 bingo players on his sorry *ss.. There is a reason why the thousands of bingo halls operating in Canada aren't being robbed.

That being said, somewhat facetiously, people are always looking for easy money.. but it isn't easy.. and theft always hurts someone else. There is no such thing as a victim-less crime.
With so much violence in the world.. the concept seems to be rubbing off on that part of the world that is not at war..

Up 62 Down 5

Thomas Brewer on Dec 18, 2015 at 3:56 pm

Or... run it regardless and have external surveillance and internal plainclothes to catch these scumbags... now we've lost an opportunity to PROACTIVELY fight crime and a great society loses the fundraising.

Up 12 Down 75

C'mon on Dec 18, 2015 at 3:52 pm

Ryan Leef was right about ISIS being on our doorstep.

Up 50 Down 6

Hoby Irwin on Dec 18, 2015 at 3:41 pm

Good Grief
We live in a climate of fear

Whitehorse Daily Star