LANSING - Political candidates searching for innovative ways to raise campaign funds may soon be crying "BINGO!"

Legislation introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, would change charitable gaming rules to allow political parties to run bingos to raise money for candidates.

Under current rules, parties can run bingos, but can use the proceeds only to pay for operational costs - like party headquarters' light bills or informational ads - not to advocate a candidate or a position, said Mike Petersen, deputy Lottery commissioner.

The proposal comes in a year when all House seats are open and more than a decade after the state said bingo proceeds couldn't be used to support campaigns.

Meadows said it's time to change that.

"The primary reason political bingos were stopped is that Democrats used them successfully and they were not a Republican fundraising mechanism," Meadows said. "This was done for the wrong reasons, and it's time to reverse this."

A cosponsor, Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi, D-Farmington Hills, said political bingos are sure to be a success.

"You know bingo players," he laughed. "They're determined, so any outlet that lets them play bingo is going to be big."

But another cosponsor, Rep. Steve Lindberg, D-Marquette, doesn't sound quite as confident.

"In areas like mine where there are a lot of casinos, bingo games aren't very big sellers anymore," he said. "But in some areas, it will be a good way for political parties to raise money without going out and asking for direct donations."

Lindberg is right about the downturn in bingo's popularity.

As casinos have grown more ubiquitous across the state, the Lottery has issued fewer bingo licenses, Petersen said.

"At bingo's height - probably in about 1992 before the casinos really took off - there were over 2,000 different bingos playing every week," he said. "Now, there's just about 1,000, and only about 20 of those are run by political parties."

Still, Meadows predicts that changing the bingo rules will be a boon to political parties.

"Bingos are still a popular form of entertainment, particularly in our out-counties, so I think this is still a worthwhile way of raising money," he said.

Meadows' state Democratic Party supports the legislation because it creates more opportunities for their candidates to raise money.

"It's another fundraising avenue for candidates who might not have contacts with wealthy donors. This will help level that playing field for political fundraising," Liz Kerr, communications director of the state Democratic Party, said.

Across the aisle, Bill Nowling, state Republicans' communications director, said the GOP sees the bill as an expansion of gaming and doubted it will become law.

The legislation is in the House Regulatory Reform Committee.