The mesmerizing atmosphere of a dark, smoky casino floor complete with rows and rows of whistling electronic gambling machines continues to exist in at least two major nontribal locations in Alabama — despite the fact the operations are illegal.
And unless Attorney General Luther Strange’s appeal on the current case about VictoryLand’s right to operate in Macon County overturns the latest ruling, the number will climb to three major locations.
The other two are Greenetrack in Greene County and White Hall Entertainment Center in Lowndes County. Another three or four smaller locations also exist in Greene County and a handful of others have been spotted around the state. While four areas in the state have legalized gambling in the form of dog and horse racing — Birmingham (Jefferson County), Mobile (Mobile County), Eutaw (Greene County) and Shorter (Macon County) — 18 counties in the state also are allowed to have paper bingo operations. None are allowed to have electronic bingo unless it is a digital form of paper bingo exactly as it is played on paper.
The machines that look and act like slot machines with a tiny bingo card in one of the corners are not legal. A November 2014 Alabama Supreme Court ruling about an operation in Houston County confirmed that fact, Strange contends.
While the debate over the legality of these casino-style operations has never really been settled, the battle took a sharp turn Nov. 5 when Gov. Robert Bentley announced he was pulling the plug on executive-level assistance in enforcing the state’s gambling laws.
In Executive Order 13, Bentley says, “The responsibility for enforcement of Alabama criminal laws lies with the elected sheriffs and district attorneys of each county and is to be guided by their respective interpretation of the laws of the state of Alabama in their capacity as constitutional officers and officers of the courts.”
Strange said, “Gov. Bentley’s executive order is in line with my Jan. 7 memo to Alabama district attorneys and local law enforcement encouraging them to investigate and enforce our anti-gambling laws.
“I have been assured by the governor’s legal adviser that this executive order has no impact on the state’s pending litigation, which I expect will further clarify the law to the benefit of state and local law enforcement.”
Clarifying the laws has been Strange’s focus, his communications director Mike Lewis told The Alabama Baptist.
The law is clear in all counties except Macon County, Lewis added. There is confusion because of a later amendment added to the original paper bingo law.
“The arguments are over what the amendment says or doesn’t say now,” Lewis said, which is why the result of the current appeal awaiting a ruling will provide the clarity for law enforcement officials.
While Greene County and Lowndes County officials also disagree that the bingo laws in their counties do not allow slot machine-style gambling, most other counties are abiding by what is stated as legal bingo.
‘Law is clear’
Randy Christian, chief deputy of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said, “The law is clear, our stance is clear, the Supreme Court’s rulings are clear.
“Only paper bingo like your grandparents used to play is allowed in Jefferson County,” he told The Alabama Baptist. “That hasn’t changed and short of our Legislature changing the law it will not change. The governor’s order doesn’t change anything in Jefferson County. … The governor’s order has zero effect on the laws governing illegal gambling.”
Joe Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program, said Alabamians “deserve better” from their government than Executive Order 13.
“I’m angry that the state government is not doing its job. … The government leaders were elected to uphold the law but instead they are doing what the gambling bosses want,” he said. “Alabama citizens no longer have a voice in their government.”
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