Christian Coalition Poll Reveals Alabamians Against Gambling Raids

Governor Robert Riley seems to be losing the support of the people that voted him into office in Alabama almost daily. The latest blow to Riley's popularity came from an anti-gambling group in the state.

The Christian Coalition is a group that is heavily opposed to any form of gambling, but that did not stop them from releasing the results of a poll that show that their opinion is not shared by the majority of people in Alabama. The poll revealed that two-thirds of Alabamians are against the raids that are taking place at entertainment establishments across the state.

Governor Riley has set up a Task Force on Illegal Gambling that was aiming to seek out and raid all facilities where video bingo was being played. The Task Force, however, has come under severe criticism in the last couple of months.

First, David Barber, the former head of the Task Force, resigned after it was learned that he won a jackpot while playing slot machines at a casino in Mississippi. After Governor Riley appointed a new head of the Task Force, questions quickly surfaced about campaign donations that were made to John Tyson's campaign for Attorney general several years ago.

Alabama residents have been souring to the idea of the random raids in their communities. Two of the locations set to be raided, Country Crossings and VictoryLand, supply thousands of jobs and the state is in no position to replenish the jobs that would be lost if the establishments are shut down.

The Christian Coalition report comes from a group that opposes gambling. The idea that they would release a report that does not back their own stance is evidence as to how far the divide between Alabama residents and Governor Riley has become.

The main reason for the release of the poll results was to signal legislators that this issue needs to be dealt with in a timely manner. Many lawmakers, and the Christian Coalition, would like to see the gambling issue settled by voters.

February 3, 2010
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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