Country Crossings Not Giving Up Gambling Fight In Alabama

In the past couple of weeks, Governor Robert Riley was again able to claim victory in the Alabama state Supreme Court over the gambling issue. The latest win for Riley came when the Supreme Court ruled that Attorney general Troy King could not take over control of the Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

With that ruling, King turned control back over to Riley, and the governor immediately released statements of how he and the Task Force would continue to raid gambling halls in the state. Riley's goal all along has been to rid Alabama of what the governor considers to be illegal gambling.

Not all people in Alabama see the issue the same way as Riley. That is why late last week, representatives of Country Crossings filed a motion in federal court asking the court to stop any further raids by Riley and the Task Force.

Country Crossings is one of the largest gambling facilities in Alabama, and along with VictoryLand, provides employment for thousands of Alabama residents. The closure of the two electronic bingo halls could result in many Alabamians losing their jobs.

"The state of Alabama cannot afford to have these entertainment facilities closed down," said Myron Walters. "The economy in Alabama is already bad enough, and any further setback could only make the unemployment rate rise, and the economy to fall even further."

Walters' sentiment is shared by many in the state including some politicians. Gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks has led his campaign largely on the premise that gambling expansion and regulation would be good for the state. Other legislators already in office have attempted to create bills that would allow for the public to vote on the issue, but Governor Riley and anti-gambling lawmakers stopped the effort.

May 31, 2010
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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