The game of bingo is going high-tech like everything else. The days of playing the game by manually marking paper cards or tickets and using markers or chips is slowly coming to an end. Free internet bingo, like many other games, can now be played on video terminals.  Many Indian tribal casinos are offering the electronic version of the game. In some cases, this is causing them problems with the state gaming commissions, depending on what kind of license they have.

The kinds of games that Indian internet casino can offer depends on the classification of license they have. There are three different classifications. A Class II gaming license allows the tribe to offer bingo games but they are not allowed to have slot machines. A Class III license allows slot machines, which are subject to strict regulation by the sate gaming commission. The electronic video bingo terminals are not covered by the same regulations.  This is bringing some of the tribal casinos into conflict with the state gaming commissions and the U.S.

Department of justice over the classification of the video machines. The government says they are like slot machines because the player deposits a coin and pushes a button to play.  The tribes say they aren’t like slots because there has to be more than one player on the network for a game to take place. The players are playing against each other and not against the house, as they are with slots. No matter what the positions, electronic bingo will continue to grow.