Bingo parlor stays open until review

A federal judge has ordered that a Riverdale bingo parlor be allowed to remain open and that the city's police chief refrain from retaliating against the business after police shut down the establishment earlier this month under suspicion it was violating state gambling laws.

Blue Sky Entertainment, which owns Riverdale Dinner and Bingo, filed a federal suit against Riverdale city and its police chief, David Hansen, after it claims Hansen pulled its business license and threatened to throw employees in jail if they did not quietly fold up their business.

In an order issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball ordered that the city's business license granted to Blue Sky remain in effect until such time that the Riverdale City Council decides to review its license. In its suit, Blue Sky claimed its rights to due process were violated by Hansen because city ordinance states it has a right to appeal before the City Council, which it never had the chance to do.

Kimball also ordered that Hansen "will not represent that Blue Sky's business license has been revoked or revoke Blue Sky's business license until such time, if any, as Blue Sky is afforded the procedural due process hearing provided by Riverdale City Ordinance."

The judge also cautioned that Hansen "will not retaliate against Blue Sky and/or Riverdale Dinner and Bingo for filing this lawsuit."

City officials have declined comment until they have filed a reply in court within the next few weeks.

Blue Sky, which has been granted a continuous business license by the city since 2001, says Hansen ordered the bingo parlor shut down because he believed it was engaging in gambling.

"Chief Hansen threatened that if Riverdale Dinner and Bingo made any trouble about being closed down, he would obtain a search warrant for the premises, seize all of the equipment and arrest (the manager) and the entire staff and take them to jail," the suit states.

Paying for bingo cards in which winners receive cash prizes is illegal in Utah. Blue Sky Entertainment maintains its club patrons purchase "dinner and snacks and regularly donate money to the club over and above the price of dinners and snacks," and receive bingo cards.

A similar establishment was raided by Clearfield Police last March on suspicion of illegal gambling. Police have expressed concern that such bingo businesses are financially exploiting the elderly.

Riverdale City officials say a hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 30 before the City Council. Riverdale Dinner and Bingo's license will expire at the end of this month, but Blue Sky has applied for a 2007 license. City officials say the current license will be extended until the Jan. 30 hearing.

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E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com

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