Legislation on charitable gaming protects a lifeline for Kentucky groups | Opinion

For many Kentucky nonprofits, charitable gaming is not a side activity. It’s a lifeline.

Across the commonwealth, organizations like ours rely on charitable gaming revenue to keep programs running — putting food on pantry shelves, supporting veterans who served our country, funding youth programs that keep kids on the right path and helping neighbors through hard times. Charitable gaming has existed for 32 years in the commonwealth and funds real work, serving real people and needs in every corner of Kentucky.

And when charitable gaming is potentially negatively impacted by policy changes, it is not some distant industry that suffers first. It’s the local food bank deciding whether it can extend its hours. It’s the youth program wondering if it can afford another season. It’s the veterans post stretching every dollar just to keep the lights on.

That’s why recent efforts by some groups to change the charitable gaming law have raised concern among nonprofit leaders across the state.

Thankfully, Kentucky lawmakers have long understood what’s at stake. Under the leadership of Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee Chairman Matthew Koch and members of the General Assembly, the Commonwealth has worked to maintain a responsible framework that allows charitable gaming to operate with strong oversight while ensuring nonprofits can keep doing the work their communities depend on.

That’s why House Bill 904 matters.

Now, no one is pretending the system is perfect. Like anything that grows over time, charitable gaming needs the occasional tune-up. Laws should evolve alongside the programs they govern. That’s not a weakness in the system, it’s responsible governance.

But HB 904 and a companion resolution to establish a task force seeks to move that conversation forward in a thoughtful and constructive way.

First, the bill recognizes something nonprofits know all too well: stability matters. Charities don’t operate on guesswork. We build annual budgets, hire staff and plan programs around the funding we expect to receive. When the rules suddenly change or uncertainty creeps in, those plans — and the people who rely on them — are the first things put at risk.

HB 904 preserves the future of charitable gaming and ensures it operates in a stable, well-regulated environment where nonprofits can continue planning and serving their communities with confidence.

Second, the bill creates an opportunity for lawmakers, regulators and nonprofit charitable leaders to step back and take a comprehensive look at how charitable gaming works today. Instead of reacting piecemeal, it encourages a thoughtful review of what’s working, what could work better and how to keep charitable missions at the center of the system.

And that last point is the most important. Because charitable gaming exists for one reason: to support charities.

Along the way, policy debates can lose sight of that simple truth. But behind every pull-tab sold and every game played is a nonprofit trying to make its community stronger.

In 2024 alone, charitable gaming delivered more than $93 million directly to Kentucky charities. For organizations like ours, that support means the difference between maintaining programs and expanding them — between meeting community needs and leaving them unmet.

Lawmakers like Chairman Koch have shown a willingness to roll up their sleeves and work through these issues. HB 904 reflects that commitment — a measured effort to strengthen the system while protecting the charitable missions it supports.

The nonprofit community should welcome that conversation and be part of shaping the future of charitable gaming in Kentucky.

Because at the end of the day, charitable gaming isn’t really about gaming.

It’s about the veteran with a service-connected disability who turns to his local post when the benefits check doesn’t stretch far enough.

The middle school student who stays safe and engaged in an after-school program instead of going home to an empty house.

The single parent who turns to a local food pantry when the paycheck runs out before the month does.

Protecting charitable gaming means protecting these missions — and the Kentuckians who depend on them. House Bill 904 helps ensure that lifeline remains strong.

Lori Smith serves as president of the Charitable Gaming Association of Kentucky. In this role, she advocates for nonprofits, veterans organizations and fraternal groups while advancing responsible gaming policies that protect charitable missions across the Commonwealth.