Riley: Supreme Court rules bingo machines illegal

John Tyson, director of Gov. Bob Riley's antigambling task force, talks to reporters outside the Capitol in Montgomery, Ala., Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. Tyson is is asking the Alabama Supreme Court to clear the way for raids of electronic bingo operations at two Alabama casinos.

By: Special to the News | Opelika Auburn News
Published: January 29, 2010

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Supreme Court today issued an opinion that again makes clear that the so-called “electronic bingo” machines being used by casino bosses across the State are illegal, according to a press release from Gov. Bob Riley's office.

In a follow-up to its November opinion that identified six elements that are required for legal bingo, the Court today made clear that “human interaction in playing the game” must be present for a game to qualify as bingo. In other words, a machine cannot play the game of bingo for a person.

Specifically, the Court held that bingo requires a player “(1) to pay attention to the numbers or designations announced, (2) to physically act to determine and then to mark whether they have a matching number or symbol, [and] (3) to recognize that they have a winning card and be the first to announce this fact.” If the game is not one where the player could lose by making mistakes in marking his card, then it is not bingo according to the Court.

Although the case arose out of St. Clair County, the decision on the meaning of “bingo” applies statewide. Even though there are different constitutional amendments pertaining to bingo for various counties, the Supreme Court has already ruled that “bingo” means the same thing in all the amendments.

“None of the slot machines being used at casinos in Alabama comes anywhere close to meeting this definition of bingo,” said Gov. Bob Riley. “A person could play these machines blind-folded and still win. Although the previous court decisions were crystal clear that the machines are illegal, this decision absolutely slams the door shut on any argument that these slot machines qualify as bingo.”

“The Court’s decision is hardly a surprise. Anyone with any common sense knows that these slot machines are not bingo. Law enforcement officials across the State cannot turn their heads any longer to the illegal activity that is occurring,” said Riley. “The gambling bosses have run out of excuses, and these slot-machine casinos must be shut down.”