NO ROOM AT LOCAL PARISHES FOR "LOS CABALLITOS" SIDEBETS

By Juan Montoya
St. Joseph's Catholic Parish, on the city's southwest side is a bustling place once Friday night bingo is on.
In the wake of Cameron County D.A. Luis Saenz's raiding of the maquinitas, churchgoers who like to spend a few dollars on a game of chance that will benefit the charities of their parishes have started to crowd the church halls and bingo games have never been more popular.
The congregation there is not much different from others at local parishes where bingos are held.

Bingos are legal in Texas and they must contribute a certain percentage to local charities of the religious society that must have existed in this state for at least eight years. The law also states that a bingo prize may not have a value of more than $750 for a single game.
The churches stay within the law if the net proceeds derived from bingo and any rental of premises are dedicated to the charitable purposes of the organization only if directed to a cause, deed, or activity that is consistent with the federal tax exemption the organization.

Now, no one remembers the last time that a prize for a single game has reached $750 over at St. Joseph's, but the congregation had compensated for the small pots by placing side bets, just as patrons in bars often do during football games, or even as they do for games like the Major League All-Star game coming up tomorrow.

In the case of the bingo side bets, the patrons – who already pay the entry fee in the number of playing cards they buy to enter – also throw in three bucks as a group for a chance to win one of the three $75 pots. It's an outside chance, but it makes the game a little more exciting, they say.

"It's just another way to play and maybe win a couple of dollars," said a regular player. "The church gets the entry fee with the cards, and there's another chance you might get a crack at the $75."

The game, according to some players, is based on when the number you picked is drawn. Much like calling a pony race, you win if your number comes in, therefore the name "caballitos."  

Well, that was until last Friday, when the local parish priest put a quick stop to the side bets and ran off at least three ladies who he suspected of staging the bets. Witnesses say that he had threatened to call the police on some of the parishioners if they didn't leave. In fact, they said that he was surreptitiously taking pictures of the players without their consent.
"It's just a way for some people to generate a little income," said another player. "Nobody is getting rich."

Now, he might have been within is legal right to do that, but to some of the people who played them, it seemed to be a bit heavy-handed. In fact, they say that among his "capatazes" he uses as snitches against their fellow parishioners who might be playing the side bets are "Felo" and "Patty." 

"It's not like they were taking something from the church," said one. "We are already playing for the cards. It's almost like a correction center now. What harm is a side bet going to do?"

The crackdown by the priest, who attends the events without his collar, has drawn the criticism of some parishioners who say the practice goes on everywhere. They say that even without the church officials' approval, they will probably continue to play more discretely.

"The people who want to play can always make arrangements to play beforehand outside church property and then collect afterwards," said one. "How are you going to stop that?"