Televised bingo to become legal in California - Online Bingo News

The compromise agreement struck yesterday allows for a major expansion of conventional bingo in the State, at the same time outlawing electronic versions of the game which are similar to slot machines.

Last minute amendments to Senate Bill 1369 were inserted on Monday as lawmakers struggled to finalise the bill before adjournment for the rest of the year at the end of August.

The State receives hundreds of millions of dollars every year from the tribes as payment for the exclusive rights to offer slots and various other electronic gaming devices. A tribal spokesman said yesterday that the electronic bingo machines represent a growing threat in violation of their gambling agreement with the State. For this reason the tribes were lobbying for an outright ban on bingo machines, and the majority are satisfied with the compromise reached.

The legal dispute will be at an end if the Bill is approved in the Senate, and will mean that 'remote caller bingo' (televised or electronically linked bingo games such as online bingo) will become legal in California. This will enable organisations such as the Catholic Church to run massive bingo games offering huge six-figure prizes. A maximum of 37% of the gross receipts would go towards the prizes, and at least 43% of the revenue would be required to go to a non-profit organisation or charity.

Although the Bill is supported by most of the charities and non-profit organisations within the State, a smaller group that depends heavily on bingo machines for income remains in strong opposition. A spokesman commented on the Bill yesterday, "It helps the Catholic Church, it helps a couple of mega-charities ... but this hurts community-based charities that have one operation."

Written by Charlene Grey for Bingo Street -  the UK’s top resource for free bingo games and the juciest online bingo promotions.