By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – The Birmingham City Council has voted to legalize, regulate and tax electronic bingo, but it will be a month before the first license is granted to nonprofit operators.
Mayor Larry Langford said he would wait 30 days to sign it after the Jefferson County district attorney expressed concerns about whether the machines ultimately will be declared illegal in the state.
The policy was approved on a 4-1 vote.
District Attorney Brandon Falls asked the city for the delay to allow Alabama courts to resolve the issue of whether the machines are legal in Alabama.
Machine owners will have to pay the city $100 per month per machine until January 2011, when the fee will jump to $2,000 per machine each year.