Legal Carousel Continues Over Alabama Gambling Raids

The gambling issue in Alabama took another turn on Friday when the state Supreme Court ruled that a Macon County Judge must dispose of an earlier ruling. Macon County Judge Tom Young had issued a restraining order barring the Task Force on Illegal Gambling from carrying out raids at VictoryLand.

The Supreme Court ruled that Young was incorrect in asserting that Task Force Commander John Tyson Jr. did not have the right to order the raid in the jurisdiction. On Monday morning, Tyson Jr. filed a motion asking Young to lift his restraining order.

If the order is lifted, thousands of employees in Alabama may again be without work. VictoryLand is one of the largest employers in the county, but if the restraining order is lifted, the gaming facility may have to close for fear of an upcoming raid.

"The judge's (Young) order was wrong the moment it was issued, and the Supreme Court has now confirmed that," said Tyson Jr., in a written release. "Every day that VictoryLand stays open, millions of dollars of illegal gambling proceeds are generated for the slot-machine bosses. The illegal activity at VictoryLand should not be protected by Judge Young's order for another minute."

While Tyson Jr. and outgoing Governor Robert Riley fight to shut down all gambling operations in Alabama, several candidates for public office have voiced their opinion that gambling machines should be legal in the state. Gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks is leading the charge for regulated gambling in Alabama.

Residents in Alabama have been showing their support for gaming establishments of late, many due to the fact that the establishments provide employment opportunities. The recession has already cost thousands of Alabamians their jobs, and any further raids could devastate the local economy.

"It makes no sense that the government is not producing jobs for people that have been out of work," said Sherry Slavel. "And not only are they not producing jobs, but these raids are making the unemployment rate go even higher. What they need to be doing is taxing the gaming halls so that more money is available to the state."

August 2, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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