About Us
California Charity Bingo Association (CCBA) is a non-profit organization representing community-based charities, citizen volunteers and game vendors. CCBA’s mission is to preserve and promote fun and successful bingo games that provide desperately needed funding to dozens of important charities throughout California. CCBA is committed to educating law enforcement, regulators, legislators and the general public about the benefits of all forms of bingo, including traditional paper games, handset machines and electronic devices.
California Bingo History
California voters amended the State Constitution in 1976 to legalize bingo games for charitable purposes. Since then, bingo has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for important charities across California, helping thousands of needy students, athletes, homeless children, seniors, veterans and the disabled.
In recent years, traditional paper bingo evolved to include handset machines and electronic bingo games. The modern devices still maintain the core characteristics of traditional paper bingo but also provide Californians with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy a game they would otherwise be unable to play.
Electronic Bingo in Jeopardy
Despite all the benefits of electronic bingo, the future of electronic bingo is now in jeopardy. Special interests are pushing to abolish electronic bingo machines -- a move that would devastate dozens of charities and hurt thousands of Californians in need.
Legislation: “Back Room Deal”
Native American tribal casinos backed legislation in 2008 seeking to ban charities from using electronic bingo games. In what State Capitol reporters described as a “back room deal,” powerful tribal casino interests convinced lawmakers to pass SB 1369 in just 11-days. Although the bill was heavily criticized in the media as a “special interest” measure, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger later signed the bill into law -- jeopardizing the future of desperately needed charities and community programs.
Court Ruling: “Particularly Offensive”
The future of electronic bingo is now in the hands of the courts. A trial is scheduled to begin January 2010 in federal court to determine whether the proposed ban in SB 1369 is legal. Until then, U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez has ruled that California bingo halls should be allowed to continue operating the game. In his April 2009 ruling, Judge Mendez argued in favor of electronic bingo, declaring SB 1369 a bill that was “written hastily with little public comment,” in a manner that was “particularly offensive.”
Legal Issue: Disability Rights at Stake
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California will eventually decide the future of electronic bingo, ruling on whether SB 1369 violates the “Americans with Disabilities Act,” a civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination against Americans with disabilities. CCBA believes the electronic bingo machines are necessary tools to ensure players with disabilities have equal access to bingo games. Not only do the machines provide access, they also provide funding to programs that assist the disabled. Electronic bingo machines generate millions of dollars a year for charities that help Californians with disabilities, like the Society for the Blind and United Cerebral Palsy.
When writing about SB 1369 in his April 2009 ruling, Judge Mendez said, “If this law remains on the books and is enforced, there is no dispute that without electronic bingo that services to a population of the disabled will be cut, if not eliminated.”
