POST FALLS - The Idaho Lottery said it does not plan to pursue further action against the Post Falls Senior Center for allegedly violating state regulations regarding bingo.

The Idaho Lottery Commission issued a revocation order against the senior center's bingo license last month, detailing several alleged record-keeping and accounting errors.

Todd Dvorak, a spokesman for the Idaho Attorney General's office, said Idaho Code does include civil penalties that could be leveled against the senior center, but the Lottery Commission would have to pursue those.

But the commission doesn't want to do that.

"We are not pursuing any further action against the Post Falls Senior Center," said David Workman, a spokesman for the lottery commission.

He said while the senior center's license has been revoked, it could reapply for a new permit after waiting a year.

Workman said revoking bingo licenses is not all that common, but there have been six revocations issued in the past three years, including the senior center.

Rob Clark, president of senior center board, said earlier this week that his board is going to work to get the revocation order lifted sooner if possible.

According to records obtained from the lottery commission, the Post Falls Senior Center grossed approximately $57,000 a year on bingo.

Currently, Workman said, there are five bingo licenses issued in Kootenai County but only four are active after the senior center's was revoked.

The Lake City Senior Center and Hayden Senior Center have active licenses, and in Post Falls both the American Legion Post 143 and the Greyhound Park have active licenses.

Dennis Wheeler, commander of the American Legion in Post Falls, said his organization decided to renew its license after learning the senior center lost its license.

Wheeler said he feels bad for the senior center, but the legion has a group of volunteers that wants to get up and running again, and some of the senior center's ball callers have agreed to help at the legion.

"I didn't know this, but ball callers have a following," Wheeler said. "A lot of bingo players will follow the ball callers they like."

The legion will hold bingo sessions from noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Wheeler said the legion doesn't make a lot of money on bingo because it uses the money to help veterans and other nonprofits in the community.

He said the legion went through some turmoil for a couple of years, but is now starting to get things straightened out, and is are excited to get back into the community again.

"I really am sorry about what happened at the senior center," Wheeler said. "But you know what they say; one man's loss is another man's gain."