LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Since 2014, Shirley’s Way has given away nearly $12.5 million for people battling cancer, children’s programs, and other community initiatives in Kentucky and southern Indiana.
“2024, we gave away four and a half million. This year in 2025 we’re getting close to six million,” Founder of Shirley’s Way Mike Mulrooney said.
Their biggest fundraiser?
“Pretty much all of our money that we raise at Shirley’s Way is charitable gaming,” Mulrooney said.
But now all bets are off for the non-profit. The Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming’s Office of Charitable Gambling has ordered all machines from two manufacturers be shut down, leaving popular electronic ‘pulltab devices’ like those from Grover Gaming, out of service.
“We have 90 percent Grover Games,” Mulrooney said.
The order comes as the KHRG says they had learned about a “fishing” scheme targeting these machines, resulting in the theft of tens of thousands of dollars.
“We’re told they were using laminated bills and a string, so they’d get ‘em to register credits, but that’s all been fixed,” Mulrooney said. “So for them to shut them down on a Friday at 5 was just really tough to read.”
Under the order, some machines can stay open, like those only at the charity’s main office.
But for the rest, charities will need to update their operating standards, including having volunteer staff at each machine location.
“We’ve been allowed to use bartenders and waitstaff at these locations to be chairpeople. Well, now they’re saying we can’t do that,” Mulrooney said. “Finding a volunteer to sit there for an eight-hour shift for free is going to be very difficult.”
Then, they have to wait to be approved by an inspector.
“We have to send in a letter saying we’re ready for an inspection to show them that we’ve accomplished the things that they’ve asked for. So, we’re working through that right now… we’ve got 40 locations. It could take months, maybe even a year,” Mulrooney said.
Shirley’s Way says the cards are stacked against them, which is why they’ve had to put a pause on their giving efforts to people battling cancer, children’s programs, and other community initiatives
“We had to send all those teachers today an email saying we can’t provide food for these kids,” Mulrooney said. “3,500 kids aren’t going to have anything to eat on the weekends because we had to end that whole thing. We had to tell everybody that’s applied for assistance for cancer treatments that we can’t… we can’t meet that need.“
But in the meantime, they’re working to beat those odds.
“Right now, we’re working through what we think we might be able to do, but we’re not real sure,” Mulrooney said.
WAVE has reached out to KHRG about these concerns but has not heard back.
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