For those of you wondering what in the world is going on...
Alabama’s Constitution outlaws gambling. However, amendments to it allow it on a county by county basis if voted on by the voters.
Some counties voted it in. Again, there were restrictions.
Charity bingo is allowed in the state ,(along with dog tracks in a couple of counties, when constitutional amendments were passed).
Well, the gambling interests took the “charity bingo” loophole and tried to drive a convoy of mack trucks through it. Started opening Bingo Parlors all over the state.
THe State Attorney General is Troy King (D). He has consistently refused to shut down bingo parlors. THe local county judges (notoriously corrupt in Alabama) will issue decisions “legalizing” the gambling.
The Alabama Supreme court has shot these down every time.
It’s basically all a big political game. Milton Macgregor is a huge gambling tycoon in Alabama. He’s getting into politicians pockets everywhere that he can to try to get gambling legalized.
Problem is, the voters of Alabama, in statewide votes, consistently vote down gambling on statewide ballots.
Republican governor Bob Riley finally had to assemble a gambling task force to start shutting down the illegal gambling houses because AG Troy King wouldn’t stop it.
What we’ve ended up with is local politicians trying every tactic possible to keep the illegal gambling going in their county. SO you end up with numbskull lawsuits like this.
Thanks for the excellent summary.
You should add that the states consider them to be slot machines.
Thanks...the article was impossible to comprehend what, why, when and where. You’ve cleared it up.
Thanks....I figured some big gambling money was involved. What these black people have to do is
— return to their tribal roots
—get the Feds to grant them tribal recognition
— open casinos
— sit back on their butts and collect the paychecks
Also, to clarify Bryan’s excellent post #10:
The “VIDEO BINGO” machines in question are LITERALLY the same Slot Machines that are in casino’s all across the country.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE is the front face of the machine has the letters B I N G O over the top of the 5 wheels and the machines are named whatever SLOT name they have with the word BINGO added to it.
THe State Attorney General is Troy King (D).
For the record, Troy King is a Republican. Appointed state AG in 2004, he won reelection in 2006. This past June, no doubt as a result of his opposition to Governor Riley, he lost the Republican primary for State AG by a large margin.
Very good summary of the facts with one exception. Attorney General Troy King is a Republican, not a Democrat. His dispute with Governor Riley cost him the nomination in the recent primary.