Charity Bar Games Getting Shut Down By Wyoming Gambling Crackdown

Wyoming regulators are cracking down on bar raffle games like Queen of Hearts and Music Bingo that raise money for charities, saying they are illegal gambling. Brian “Alf” Grzegorczyk has spent 16 years turning Thankful Thursdays into a fundraising powerhouse, donating more than $4.5 million to local groups. At his bar, Alf’s Pub, Queen of Hearts became one of his best tools for drawing crowds and fueling charitable giving—until a statewide crackdown.

In the most recent 12-week run, Queen of Hearts generated about $12,000 for Thankful Thursday, which passed along $1,000 each week to 12 nonprofits. Grzegorczyk also made $40,000 in other donations, including $5,000 for a volunteer fire department, $5,000 for a girls’ softball team, $5,000 for Cheyenne’s Brewfest supporting depot restoration, $5,000 for a pet rescue, and $15,000 toward a veterans and first-responders park. “Grants are being cut tremendously for nonprofits. State assistance is being cut tremendously,” he said. “So why are you hurting us when you have locals wanting to help locals? We’re not hurting anybody.”