
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 30, 1995                   TAG: 9505300128
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: HAMPTON                                LENGTH: Short

IRS INVESTIGATES BINGO GAMES

Internal Revenue Service investigators are probing groups that run bingo games in Tidewater and Richmond to see if they are unfairly claiming tax-exempt status, officials said. Bingo is legal in Virginia solely for the purpose of raising money for charities.

The review is part of a broad probe that has included hiring nine more auditors in Virginia, the Daily Press reported Monday, attributing its story to a prominent figure in state bingo regulation who spoke on condition of anonymity.

IRS officials declined to comment on the growth of its audit staff from three to 12 employees. An agency official did say the IRS does not normally hire people for a single project.

Meanwhile, Newport News officials have suspended the bingo licenses of two charities because they did not have tax-exempt status.

- Associated Press

by CNB