Alabama Governor Riley Accused Of Corruption In Gambling Lawsuit

The gambling issue that has brought Alabama Governor Robert Riley national fame is about to take a nasty turn. Public officials and residents in several counties have sued Governor Riley and members of his Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

The suit alleges corruption within the Alabama government. Filed in a Birmingham U.S. District Court on Thursday, the lawsuit alleges that Riley nullified votes from citizens that were attempting to regulate electronic bingo in Greene and Macon Counties.

The corruption was only the beginning of the complaint, the suit also alleges that Governor Riley discriminated against African-American residents in Alabama. The lawsuit appears to be the next step towards the federal government deciding the electronic bingo issue in Alabama.

Several months ago, lawmakers attempted to create a bill that would have allowed voters to decide whether or not to allow electronic bingo machines. Anti-gambling legislators in the state defeated the bill, and a federal investigation resulted surrounding some of the lawmakers in favor of allowing the public to vote.

The gambling issue has been in and out of Alabama courts for over a year. Governor Riley created the Task Force to raid establishments where the electronic bingo machines were in operation. The raids have cost a large segment of Alabama residents their jobs.

VictoryLand and Greenetrack are two of the biggest employers in the state, but they have had to shut down out of fear of the Task Force raids. Restraining orders have been issued in several counties to keep the Task Force from carrying out raids. Each time, Governor Riley has appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The high court in the state has ruled in Riley's favor several times, but has not issued a ruling that would classify all electronic bingo machines used in the state's gaming facilities illegal. A Riley spokesman on Thursday denied the allegations in the lawsuit.

July 30, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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