Federal appeals court lifts injunction on California bingo machines

A federal appeals court Wednesday gave the go-ahead for enforcement of a ban on electronic bingo machines in California while a group of charities continues a legal challenge to the law.

FOR THE RECORD: The headline for an article about a ban on California’s bingo machines that ran in Thursday’s Section A incorrectly said the ban had been upheld. A federal appeals court did not rule on the ban itself. It lifted an injunction on enforcement of the ban.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an injunction that had blocked sheriffs from unplugging the games and set the stage for the devices to be shut down in three weeks unless there is another appeal. The court’s order takes effect in 21 days.

The charities are challenging a law passed last year that outlawed their bingo machines. The nonprofits argue that the law violates the Americans With Disabilities Act by eliminating the form of bingo most accessible to the hearing-impaired and blind and those without use of their arms.

The law was approved after Indian casinos complained that the slot-machine-like electronic bingo games ran afoul of the tribes’ exclusive right to operate slots in California.

The stand-alone bingo devices look like slot machines, with reels or poker cards on the screen, and use a computerized random number generator, as slot machines do.

K. Greg Peterson, an attorney for one of the charities, said he was considering whether to appeal further. He said enforcement would hurt charitable groups already struggling in the slumping economy.

“It’s a punch to the gut,” Peterson said of the ruling. “It’s very unfortunate for charities.”

Peterson’s clients include the El Camino Athletic Boosters Club, which uses bingo games to raise money for programs helping young people in a Sacramento-area school district whose funding has been slashed by the state.

California has no statewide tally of bingo halls using the electronic devices. But regulators last year said none were found in L.A. County, there was one hall using the devices in San Bernardino County and one in Riverside County.

“We’re pleased with the 9th Circuit’s ruling and will continue our efforts to enforce California’s charitable bingo law,” said Christine Gasparac, a spokeswoman for the California Bureau of Gambling Control, which had challenged the injunction.

patrick.mcgreevy

@latimes.com