WASHINGTONVILLE – VFW post 5532 in Washingtonville is one of several hundred veteran and fraternal organizations benefiting from charitable gaming to help support their organizations and raise more money for local charities. The VFW is an organization of U.S. war veterans, who, as military service members, fought in wars, campaigns and expeditions on foreign land, waters or airspace. Washingtonville VFW 5532 was granted a license by the Ohio Attorney General to operate electronic instant bingo machines (“E-bingo”).

E-Bingo, low-stakes, low-risk machines, provide a source of entertainment for members of veteran and fraternal organizations while raising much needed dollars for local charities. Of the revenue that charitable gaming raises for each post, at least 25% goes to other charities in their local communities, including youth programs, emergency shelters, fire departments and senior centers.

“E-Bingo is a new source of fundraising for our organization, and we have already exceeded our expectations to provide community assistance,” VFW Post 5532 Post Quartermaster Jim Dickens said. “These machines are simply a modern form of the pop open tabs and paper bingo our patrons have been playing for years. It’s more attractive, engaging, entertaining, and when people play, we all win.”

The Washingtonville VFW has about 400 members and donates more than $30,000 annually to groups like Leetonia Schools, local village police and fire departments and the area food banks among other community and veteran based groups. The post teamed up with Arrow International Inc., an Ohio-based manufacturer and distributor of charitable and social gaming products, to supply and install the new machines.

Ohio is the eighth state to adopt electronic bingo as a fundraising tool for charitable organizations. To learn about electronic instant bingo and charitable gaming, visit www.arrowinternational.com.