Arizona’s charitable organizations believe that the state allows slots-like electronic bingo machines. But its gaming regulators are tracking the gaming gadgets.
They recently sent a notice to charity entities that offer bingo games. Still, they claim that Arizona prohibits such electronic machines.
Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion are some charities that deployed over a hundred electronic gaming machines. The company marketing the devices to them has criminal charges. Still, the regulators are cautioning the organizations against retaining the machines.
The Arizona Department of Gaming stated that possessing a bingo gaming machine is a crime in the state. State regulators have visited more than 17 gaming sites since September 1 as they enforce licensing bingo venues and gaming regulations. News reports indicate that the regulators’ letter explained the concern.
The state’s gaming regulations allow ordinary live-call bingo games that require an individual to pull a ball and call a number before other players. The bingo machines resemble slot machines, which allow players to compete anytime. But bingo pulls determine their results, and the charities enter them inside machines.
Arizona’s 2017 Gaming Law
The state’s Legislature passed a gaming law in 2017 allowing charitable bingo sites to offer electronic machines following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The legislation states that a bingo player should use an electronic gadget if they can’t mark a paper card due to disability. Nevertheless, the regulation doesn’t allow local lodges to set de facto slots parlors.
State Senator Sonny Borrelli(R) stated so while presenting Senate Bill 1180 as its main sponsor. He narrated in a 2017 hearing that they intended to allow charities to offer technological help to people who follow the ADA.
The senator believed that giving the organizations the freedom to offer slots-like bingo gadgets would contravene the state’s gaming deal with indigenous tribes whose exclusive rights allow them to provide casino-style games.
Are There New Justifications?
Borrelli has changed his stand on electronic bingo machines. He claims that Arizona is unlawfully tracking veterans’ groups that solely depend on the machines’ profits. The Republican legislator has played a key role in spreading rumors that President Joe Biden stole the 2020 Presidential Election from Donald Trump.
The senator met with veterans in a recent press conference, accusing the state’s gaming regulators of favoring tribal gaming properties and sidelining veterans.
Jackie Johnson, Arizona Department of Gaming’s Director, termed Borrelli’s allegation as offensive. He sent a letter to the lawmaker defending their action, stating that they are protecting all Arizonians from uncontrolled gaming machines according to their mandate.
Gaming regulators have firmly held their interpretation of the gaming regulation during Governor Katie Hobbs and former Governor Doug Ducey’s administrations. They used the same language in this year’s notice as the one in their 2017 notice.
Still, they have included on-site inspections. Arizona hasn’t sanctioned any charity entity for the gaming machines.
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