A state senator is pushing back against various state agencies over what they say is illegal gaming and he says is protected bingo.

On Sep. 1, the Arizona Department of Gaming, Arizona Department of Revenue and Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control sent a joint letter to bingo licensees that gambling on certain machines is illegal and could result in litigation.

Alarmed bingo-lovers argue that playing these games is protected by Senate Bill 1180, which Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, passed in 2017. It specifically allows licensees to use Bingo Technological Aids to play bingo. Essentially tablets, the aids function as accessible electronic bingo cards, and licensees can use them to legally play bingo games where people win money.