Nonprofit Groups Scramble for Bingo Permits

A list of more than 30 bingo permit applicants released by the city of Birmingham last week offers a glimpse into who might be involved in high-stakes bingo under Birmingham's new bingo ordinance.
Among the permit applicants is the brother of City Councilman Johnathan Austin. Gerald Austin Jr. applied for a permit representing the Center for Urban Missions, a nonprofit founded by Austin's father, the Rev. Gerald Austin Sr.

Councilman Austin was one of four councilors voting in favor of the bingo ordinance earlier this month.

Also applying for a bingo license is a nonprofit that former U.S. Rep. Earl Hilliard founded in 2000, the National Gallery of the Greats. Hilliard provided the initial draft of the new bingo ordinance to Councilman Joel Montgomery, who led the push to authorize and tax electronic bingo in the city. As a lawyer, Hilliard represents bingo operations in Jefferson and Walker counties.

But it's unclear how many groups might be pursuing a new type of permit that will allow them to operate major gaming centers with 500 machines or more.

That's because they all filled out an application designed before more than one type of permit existed that doesn't give them an option.

The city's list of applicants includes six groups that apparently denoted on their applications that they wanted the new bingo permit. The group operated by Austin's brother is among those six.

For the complete story, please see Thomas Spencer, Jeff Hansen, Groups line up for bingo permits in Birmingham, The Birmingham News, June 21, 2009.