They are sold in bingo halls, at Veterans of Foreign War clubs, and other service organizations. Almost everyone has seen them, but few consider where they originate.
Near the west side of Cleveland, a thriving business has been manufacturing pull tabs – and bingo-related equipment – since 1967.
“At Arrow (International), our mission is to empower organizations through innovation, innovative gaming solutions that help local communities fund raise, and effectively raise over $1.5 billion each year,” says President John Gallagher III.
Arrow bills itself as “the only one-stop shop for charitable gaming products,” according to Gallagher. The company manufactures paper pull tabs and bingo supplies, including a variety of colorful daubers inspired by Popeye, the ‘80s sitcom Cheers, and Elvis Presley.
Arrow is expanding its market with electronic pull tabs – the machines are provided to charitable organizations free of charge – as the company keeps pace with 21st-century technology.
“The connection point many of us have to charitable gaming in local communities is far more prevalent than advertised,” Gallagher says. “ I think what you’ll find is that charitable gaming is a vibrant part of local communities across North America, and serves a critical purpose at helping local communities reinvest and enrich themselves.”
Gallagher’s grandfather, John Gallagher I, started the company in 1967. John Gallagher III’s father and uncle helped build the company to its present status, with more than 1,500 employees and manufacturing facilities in Seattle, Washington and London, England.
“We believe that we’re best positioned for the future because we’re paving the future,” says Gallagher, known as J3 to friends and colleagues. “We’re at the forefront of modernizing charitable gaming, and we’re proud that we get to partner with veterans, with charities that have a real impact on local communities that really partner with us on a go forward basis to help facilitate and enrich local communities.”
Arrow employs more than 500 route sales and service professionals who directly engage with more than 17,000 local nonprofit organizations. Success stories include Elks 270 in New Albany, Indiana, which uses money raised from Arrow-supplied charitable gaming to buy clothing for 150-200 children at Christmas. The Elks lodge also assists recently discharged veterans with house-warming kits.
At the Toma Foundation in New Haven, Indiana, charitable gaming money is used for a summer camp for students to help with math and English as they transition from the eighth to ninth grade.
“I’m proud to work with a team that really believes in our mission, and our mission has purpose, and that purpose is to help local communities accomplish great things,” Gallagher says. “And as a result, we’re able to attract the best talent in charitable gaming by far, and we continue to seek out that talent to bring traditional gaming talent and experience to local charitable gaming applications.”
