California Unplugs Machines 

The California Legislature banned electronic bingo machines in 2008 because they looked and sounded, and played, too much like slot machines. The state has signed a compact with the tribes in the state to give them the exclusive right to offer slot machines in the state and they want to see them gone. Right now the charity bingo halls across California have been using them – but no more. 

There was a preliminary injunction passed that made it possible for the charities to continue running the slot machines, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has now overturned it. With the games now not protected they were to be turned off and unplugged. The charities are understandably upset as they say that the slot machines are a big part of the money that they bring in. They say that the tribes got a law passed that made the bingo machines into slot machines, and now they and the people they help and support will pay the price. 

Many of them admit that they are like slot machines, but they all say that there are major differences. They also point out that the tribes are making money hand over fist from their slot machines and that it should not be too much for them to ask for a little common courtesy. They said that because they can’t use the slot machines they will lose somewhere around $5 million a year for charities now. 

The Tribal Business Alliance disagrees. They said that it was obvious that they were slot machines otherwise the courts would not have made them get rid of them. The charities say that they just don’t know how to make up that difference now.