Alabama Governor Announces Tyson As New Gambling Task Force Head

Alabama Governor Robert Riley has been attacking the state's gambling industry over the past year through his Task Force on Illegal Gambling. On Monday, Riley appointed a new head of the Task Force.

Attorney John Tyson Jr., a Democrat, will be taking over the lead role in the Task Force. Tyson takes over for David Barber, who submitted his resignation after admitting that he won a jackpot at a casino in Mississippi.

"I am honored to be joining the task force as commander," said Tyson, "Much is at stake for the people of Alabama in this fight. I will see to it that Alabama's laws against illegal gambling are enforced everywhere, in every community, because no one is above the law."

What exactly that "law" is has become a major topic of discussion in Alabama. There are those that believe the bingo machines being operated are legal, while Riley and others opposed to gambling feel that the machines are illegal under state law.

Riley has won the most recent battle in the Supreme Court regarding video gambling machines, but the Court stressed that their decision did not set a precedent for all gambling machines in the state. They made a point of making the distinction between the isolated case and others that are currently pending.

Riley's efforts have taken a blow in the past several weeks. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would better define bingo machines and their legality. Representative Marcel Black proposed the legislation that would legalize gambling in the state.

January 25, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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