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Next month the ward DH and I attend is going to hold an adult only potluck dinner and Bunco Night. Bunco (also Bunko or Bonko) is a parlour game played in teams with three dice. I found this description of the game:
Quote:Playing Bunco is great way to maintain relationships and make new friends. Bunco is a game of dice, luck, and prizes.
Orson Scott Card made these observations about bunko (bunco) parties:
Quote:Lately I’ve heard of an even-more-appalling fad that is sweeping through the church: bunko parties!
A relative reported on one such party. She was asked to fill in for a regular bunko player who had to miss a session. When she showed up, she learned that everyone was expected to chip in 10 bucks; the total amount was then given to the person who won the day’s gaming.
“But how is that not gambling?” said the guest player.
Apparently no one had ever thought of it that way. (Oh, yeah, right.) But they decided that, because of the objections of this guest, they would have everybody ante up only five bucks, and then the day’s money would be given to a charity.
I hope this sounds as funny to you as it did to me. If they were now going to give the money to the poor, why did they cut the ante in half?
There’s a reason why the anti-gambling division of most big-city police departments was called the “bunko squad.” It’s because bunko is gambling!
And just because the people you’re gambling with are in your Relief Society or priesthood quorum doesn’t make it better — it makes it worse!
Has “Bunco Night” become a popular ward activity? I read where some stakes are prohibiting “Bunco Nights.”
DH and I are of the opinion that “Bunco Night” is not a “wholesome activity” since it is too close to gambling.
Are DH and I out of the loop with what is now deemed to be an acceptable ward activity? If Bunco is okay, why not Bingo?
Any activity where you’re required to “chip in” money and win a pot is not going to go over well at church (Bingo or anything like that). I’ve never played Bunco to know if it can be played without money (or if it is worthwhile that way).
I’ve heard some areas have frowned on these parties, but that is usually when people take it too far and are doing it too often they are impacting family life or callings or some excuse like that…not necessarily the activity itself.
I think it sounds fun as a 1 time ward activity…you’d just have to address the money thing.
Bunco is a major tradition among Catholic women. Personally, I agree that chipping in money toward a pool or pot is going to be a problem in the church because people will feel like outsiders if they can’t afford to join in. Anything where you have to pitch in money is considered verboten. I think that’s probably a good guideline in general. There’s a similar game called Fill or Bust that is not a gambling version, although you can play Bunco without gambling. A Catholic friend of mine told me how the Presbyterians around here used to criticize them for having a tombola, but then he heard that the Presbyterians were running a “guess the weight of the cake” competition! Ten dollars is quite a bit of money surely! (Well, not these days, but you know what I mean)
I have no problem with bunco. My wife is in a community bunco group, there are a few other members in the group as well, however, it is NOT a ward activity. It is a social group to meet and interact with other folks from different backgrounds in the community. I guess it doesn’t sit well with me if bunco became a church activity. I don’t think it is “wrong” really ,in the gambling sense, but I don’t think it is “wholesome” either. It just seems like there would be a lot of other things one could plan for a church social night? I think it would fit into the Bingo category. If a person wants to play bingo or bunco, great, have fun, but why does it have to be at church and become an official church activity? Sheesh! I gotta tell you, this is one of those “petty” things I just have to step back and say “some people need to be told everything to do!” Can’t we just love our neighbor the best we can? If we’re worrying about if bunco is “okay to do,” how can we put our energy into doing the really important things in life?! Sometimes I think so much attention is given to the leaves, there’s no way to even see the trees…let alone the forest!
(I’m not pointing fingers at anybody here, just the “culture” in general…)
If money is involved, I absolutely disapprove – more for the exclusivity aspect than for the gambling aspect, frankly. If money is not involved, I couldn’t care less. I’ve been in the situation where I would not have been able to participate if money were involved – and one LDS Church policy with which I agree 1000% is that ward activities should not require monetary contributions to participate. There are WAY too many other activities that can involve everyone to excuse doing things that will exclude some – or pressure them to participate by using money that should be used for food, clothing or charitable giving.
Yeah, this is a hot button issue for me, since I’ve been fighting the “pay to participate, and it’s no big deal if it’s only a few bucks” mentality at church and school for a long, long time.
I’ve never heard of Bunko parties ever, let alone at church. I do have to agree with Rix on this one–let’s not go overboard. Having said that, I pretty much refuse to participate in March Madness pools if there is a pot of money. I’m in it simply for the glory of picking the winner. But I don’t get too bent out of shape if other people want to chip in a few bucks for a pot. Moderation in all things….
I agree with Ray – the issue isn’t gambling at all – it’s requiring money to participate. If that’s done, it shouldn’t be a church activity because we don’t know (and shouldn’t) who is struggling and can’t join in. But a personal group – not a problem! We played it at an Enrichment activity. No money. It was fun, but I’ve had more fun playing cards in a large group of women. I’m sure the idea was influenced from women from Utah as it is not a big thing out here
at all. Rix wrote:Sheesh! I gotta tell you, this is one of those “petty” things I just have to step back and say “some people need to be told everything to do!”
Can’t we just love our neighbor the best we can? If we’re worrying about if bunco is “okay to do,” how can we put our energy into doing the really important things in life?! Sometimes I think so much attention is given to the leaves, there’s no way to even see the trees…let alone the forest!
(I’m not pointing fingers at anybody here, just the “culture” in general…)
My wife plays bunco and I participate in the office pools – many of them, and I lose a lot of money, and I don’t apologize for it. But I just don’t understand why either of these activities would/should be a church thing. I don’t think it is a sin or bad, but why do it for church? IMO, It would kind of be like having a church night to gather around and watch The Office or House? Nothing wrong with it, but WHY do it for it church? It just seems like one could find a lot more constructive things to do with the little free time that we have. I don’t know, I don’t care much for church socials in general so maybe I see it that way. The fewer church social activities that I “have” to participate in the better. I have a church life and I have a social life — and I try not to mix those worlds too much. I kind of view it like George Constansa (Seinfeld) – If your different worlds collide to often, bad things are going happen.
I don’t think this gets into being a sin or not, I don’t even really think it has much to do about gambling addictions. But I just think if it is a ward activity, the culture in the church is that most people feel obligated to participate and support the ward, and shouldn’t be expected to pay or feel pressured they need to pay. In addition…most members of the church I know are pretty stingy with money. If you think mormon basketball brings out competitive natures in people…money prizes are sure to get emotions going.
😯 Sounds like it can be played without money. I’d go that route to be safe.
What cwald said. (See, we aren’t as far apart as you thought.) 
I am not at all familiar with Bunco… I was invited to play once by a lovely group of ladies, and couldn’t help but feel like I was just invited to go play Bridge. I’m not ready to make that step in my life, don’t want to feel too old. 
cwald wrote:But I just don’t understand why either of these activities would/should be a church thing.
My only point was that “we” worry so much about what we “should or shouldn’t do,” that we forget to focus on the more important principles of loving each other. I see specific lifestyle commandments (WoW, what is keeping the Sabbath holy, no bunco, etc.) as diversions to improving relations with and giving service to each other.
I understand they are all vestiges of millennia of Mosaic law, but it seems Jesus fulfilled that law.
Just my humble opinion. As Bruce says…”mileage will vary.”
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