Joining the ranks of U.S. states which have either passed or are in the process of considering bills to raise the prize cap on bingo games, such a bill has passed early legislative stages in Alabama. An Alabama state senate committee yesterday approved a bill that would remove the prize cap from charitable bingo games, meaning that bingo players could compete for unlimited sums of money.

According to several state legislators and lobbyists, the bill is unlikely to pass in its current form. This is not the state's first attempt to pass such a bill, and indeed, similar efforts were abandoned the issue became lost among dispute in November. Current regulations follow provisions of the Mobile County Bingo Act, in effect since 1983, which permits and regulates non-profit small-stakes bingo.

In addition to removing the prize cap, the proposed bill would increase bingo venues' hours of operation as well as doubling players' fees from 50 cents to $1. Currently, players' fees are transferred to the Sheriff's Department, which in turn uses it to oversee implementation of the Bingo Act. The new bill would permit using the money for other areas of law enforcement.