SB379 Alabama 2010 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Roger Bedford, Jr.
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2010
Title: Bingo, Class II gaming, federally recognized bingo, maritime gaming, qualified person, further defined and provided for
Summary: SB379 creates a special Alabama law to shield certain bingo and maritime-gaming operators from state legal burdens by recognizing qualified persons and aligning rules with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
What This Bill Does
The bill would relieve non-Indian bingo operators and maritime-gaming operators on Mobile-docking cruise ships from certain legal disabilities not applying to tribes under IGRA. It defines key terms and provides protections for a defined group of qualified persons, including immunity from criminal prosecution and protection against forfeiture for engaging in federally recognized bingo or maritime gaming. It also allows bingo equipment used for Class II gaming to be treated as non-gambling devices under Alabama law, and it permits transport of such devices under federal law; the act includes severability, an effective date, and a termination date.

Who It Affects
Qualified persons: individuals or entities that conducted federally recognized bingo at a location in Alabama on or before December 1, 2009 and continued afterward, or those who engaged in maritime gaming on ships at saltwater ports in Alabama on or before December 1, 2009 and continued afterward.
Maritime gaming and federally recognized bingo activities: these groups would be protected from certain Alabama criminal provisions and asset forfeiture, and their gambling devices could be transported under federal law when used for these activities.
Non-Indian bingo operators and cruise ship operators at Mobile: would receive relief from legal burdens that do not apply to Indian tribes under IGRA.

Key Provisions
Section 1 defines terms: Bingo Equipment, Class II Gaming, IGRA, Federally Recognized Bingo, Maritime Gaming, Qualified Person, and Person.
Section 2 states the act does not authorize new forms of gambling or require tribal-state compacts for Class III gaming, and clarifies it does not affect local constitutional amendments or authorize lotteries.
Section 3 provides that no qualified person may be criminally prosecuted under Alabama Title 13A for Federally Recognized Bingo or Maritime Gaming, and that property used in these activities may not be forfeited.
Section 4 authorizes the transportation of gambling devices into or out of Alabama for use by qualified persons in Federally Recognized Bingo or Maritime Gaming, exempting such transport from 15 U.S.C. §1172.
Section 5 provides severability of provisions, Section 6 sets an immediate effective date and a termination date of November 2, 2010.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Bingo