The fate of electronic bingo in unincorporated Jefferson County was sealed when county commissioners voted not to issue bingo permits in the area. The vote occurred Sept. 4 after Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale notified the commission that his office would no longer handle the permits, which allow the gambling establishments to operate.
Since both county agencies declined this responsibility, the area’s electronic bingo establishments will have no way to receive or renew permits in the future.
“The fact that the commissioners are not going to issue permits puts an end to the question of bingo in unincorporated Jefferson County,” Hale said. “It is unfortunate that some would use what should be an innocent game for charity as a veiled gambling establishment that the laws of the state of Alabama prohibit.”
Although Dan Ireland, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program, thinks this action is a step in the right direction, he still believes the best policy for Alabama is to pass a law that would prohibit the use of any electronic gambling machines.
Last year, the Alabama Supreme Court took a step in this direction when it decided to overturn a ruling by a circuit judge who ruled the machines legal due to a loophole in state law. This ruling made the electronic gambling machines noted in the case illegal.
Yet other electronic bingo machines — like many other gambling devices — seem to skirt the letter of the Alabama law and remain operational.
“It seems like every business and manufacturer tries to get around the letter of the law in the type of equipment they use,” Ireland said. “When ‘bingo for charity’ was first initiated in Jefferson County, it used a bingo card. Now we see how it has mushroomed using electronic equipment. Nonprofit and charity are not clearly defined, and everybody is trying to get in on the games to raise money.”
Just as he argued years ago against legalized bingo and called it a “gateway to expanded gambling,” Ireland believes the bingo industry has become uncontrollable in the state.
“Any place where you legalize gambling, enough is never enough,” he said. “That’s what happened to the bingo industry. One thing leads to another, and there is never an end to what they’ve tried to do when it comes to gambling.”
On Anti-Gambling Sunday, Sept. 16, Ireland hopes Alabamians remember the evil, destructive nature of gambling.
“The public ought to take an interest in all levels of government and participate in (its) functions … to the point where they want the government to restrict gambling,” he said. “Maybe in my lifetime people will (realize) that gambling is a greater threat to enslavement than anything we have had in our lifetime. … It’s polluting our society.”
Ireland also urges Christians to work hard to correct the problem of gambling.
“I think the faith community has been negligent on taking a strong stand on moral issues,” he said. “If we continue not taking a stand in that trend, we will see more and more gambling proliferating (in) our society.”
Ireland added, “Isaiah 1:9 (states) that unless God left a remnant, we would have become a Sodom and Gomorrah. I think the faith community is that remnant, which is the moral compass of this country.
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