The glitz and glimmer of electronic bingo gambling machines could become reality in St. Clair County’s small town of Argo after some recent changes with the Argo Town Council.
And Argo citizens may not even realize how close it is.
Jamey Curlee’s May 11 resignation from the council leaves the council members against electronic bingo gambling now at two, with three for it.
If the newly appointed member is for electronic bingo gambling, then the vote that stalled the effort for the past five months will no longer exist.
But even bigger than that is a move by council member Steve Medori, who presented a motion to the council that the mayor and town attorney prepare an ordinance regulating bingo gambling in Argo. The motion was seconded by council member George Howell and approved unanimously by the council.
Medori and Howell have fought electronic bingo gambling from the beginning, but Medori said he has researched the issue and now believes the town will not be able to stop electronic bingo gambling from coming to the area.
Even if it doesn’t make it inside the town limits, it will likely be in Argo’s jurisdiction, he said.
“I’m not sure we are in a position to pass an ordinance claiming it is illegal, but we are in a position to regulate (bingo) gambling,” Medori said, following up on his original idea of proposing an ordinance calling electronic bingo gambling illegal in Argo.
“I don’t think we can do a flat prohibition because the constitution of Alabama as amended would override a blanket anti-gambling ordinance.
“To prohibit it would be meaningless,” Medori said. “If we don’t do something like this, then they are free to operate in this town.”
His motion was that Mayor Paul Jennings and attorney Hugh Holladay would “work on an ordinance that would regulate bingo in the town of Argo and jurisdiction such that the operational schedule would not exceed limits specified in the constitution of Alabama as amended (referring to the constitutional amendments that allow 18 jurisdictions in the state to operate traditional bingo).”
Noting he believes citizens have had “several opportunities to turn down gambling” and have “spoken multiple times,” Medori said he proposed the ordinance as a way to prevent bingo gambling from coming into Argo.
“I believe this ordinance as I have recommended it would deter the gambling proponents from opening an operation in our town,” he said. “The constitution limits bingo to one session per day, three days per week, except by special permit. They would want an exception to the constitution. Our ordinance would say, no, we want to follow the constitution, number of sessions, [etc.]. Therefore we would be regulating bingo in our town and police jurisdiction and would be directly in line with the constitution.”
Jennings noted that the way bingo gambling facilities stay open longer than the time noted in the constitutional amendments is by adding additional charities.
In Walker County, the electronic bingo gambling facilities stay open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except on Sundays because of the number of charities connected to their operations.
And with Circuit Judge Charles E. Robinson’s ruling that electronic bingo gambling is legal in St. Clair County, a bingo facility could possibly open with electronic machines if St. Clair County Sheriff Terry Surles issued a permit.
Still with the current appeal of Robinson’s ruling, Surles’ resistance to issue permits right now and Ashville Mayor Robert McKay’s decision not to pursue electronic machines until the issue is decided by the Alabama Supreme Court, the legality of electronic bingo gambling remains uncertain.
Meanwhile Jennings plans to use much of the original ordinance he wanted to propose in April as he prepares the new ordinance to present to the council.
“I have some changes that will make it more understandable, such as make it plain that the license fee (to open a facility) would be paid in advance and that it would be nonrefundable,” he said.
The nonrefundable aspect would be important because electronic bingo gambling could be ruled illegal at some point in the future, several Argo citizens have noted.
In the meantime, the prime property in Argo for an electronic bingo facility is owned by Randy Melvin, who said Roadhouse Gaming Systems LLC is no longer the only option on the table.
But Jennings selected Roadhouse Gaming Systems as his choice for the electronic bingo gambling business in Argo. He has also stated that he wants only one bingo facility in Argo.
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