Hobby Lobby, a chain of craft stores, has come under fire recently for allegedly selling bingo cards. The company has since denied these claims, but they have not yet provided evidence to back up their defense.
Given the ongoing debate around Hobby Lobby and the contraception mandate, it is worth exploring the allegations further.
The accusation against Hobby Lobby comes from a blog post by investigative journalist Shauna Sand. In her post, Sand alleges that Hobby Lobby sells bingo cards that promote gambling.
Specifically, she alleges that the cards include images of money and slot machines, and that the company is using them to promote gambling to children.
Sand provides no evidence to support her allegations. She simply cites an anonymous source who says that he has seen the bingo cards at a Hobby Lobby store in Oklahoma.
However, if Sand’s source is genuine, it would be odd for Hobby Lobby to sell bingo cards without acknowledging them. Bingo cards typically feature brightly colored designs and phrases like “BINGO!” or “YOU WIN!” If Hobby Lobby was hiding these cards from customers, it would be difficult to avoid noticing them.
Hobby Lobby has denied selling bingo cards and said that it does not promote gambling. The company has provided evidence including images of other items in its stores that are unrelated to gambling and an advertising campaign that does not mention bingo at all.
It is possible that Sand’s source is mistaken about what he saw at a Hobby Lobby store in Oklahoma; however, given the lack of corroborating evidence, it is difficult to believe that Hobby Lobby is actually selling bingo cards.
