St. Clair County residents, both for and against gambling, anxiously awaited Circuit Judge Charles E. Robinson’s ruling at press time. Following a full day of testimony March 17, he said he planned to determine whether the game of bingo can be played electronically in the county by March 23 or 24.
But “that’s just one part of the issue,” said District Attorney Richard Minor. If the judge does deem it legal to play the game of bingo electronically, “then we have to determine whether the machines they want to play on are slot machines or electronic bingo machines.”
Witnesses during the hearing included two machine experts; James Sampley, pastor of FBC Ashville; and Ashville Mayor Robert McKay.
“[Others] are operating bingo machines,” McKay said. “We need them, too. … Bingo machines are legal and we can make money.”
But opponents say the machines are basically the same as slot machines, which are illegal under Alabama law. “They are slot machines disguised as bingo machines,” Sampley said.
Visit www.thealabamabaptist.org and watch future issues of the paper for a full report.
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