Bingo Gambling Halls Reopen To Packed Houses In Alabama

The gambling debate in Alabama may have been heated, but most facilities that offered electronic bingo machines closed down their operations during the battle. This weekend, several of the bingo halls in Jefferson County have re-opened.

Local law enforcement gave the bingo halls the OK to re-open to the public. The owners of these facilities had feared that Governor Robert Riley's Task Force on Illegal Gambling would raid the establishments, but court rulings this week prevents the Task Force from doing so.

Attorney General Troy King had a closed door meeting with Governor Riley on Thursday, and the details of that encounter have not been released. King only said afterwards that both Riley and himself have a lot of thinking to do about the Task Force.

In the meantime, King has been given until March 22nd by a circuit court judge to report back on his feelings about the Task Force. King is collecting data and pondering whether or not he will take over control of the operations of the Task Force.

Governor Riley set the Task Force up last year and they have carried out several raids at gambling entertainment centers across Alabama. Their methods, however, have been questioned by King.

A couple of weeks ago, King warned Riley and Task Force head John Tyson to stop being reckless in the way the Task Force was operating. Riley and Tyson continued with business as usual and this week King stepped in at the request of the circuit court judge.

One of the biggest employers in the state is Country Crossings, and they have remained closed for fear of being raided. VictoryLand, another major employer in Alabama, re-opened after receiving a restraining order stopping the Task Force from conducting a raid at the facility.

March 14, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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