Tempers Boil Over Gambling Issue At Alabama State House

The gambling issue has become the hottest topic in Alabama over the past several months. Whether for or against electronic bingo machines, it seems as though everyone has their opinion on the subject.

That was evidenced on Tuesday when Governor Robert Riley tried to address anti-gambling residents and rally them to support his efforts. The problem for Riley was that his voice could hardly be head over the angry gambling proponents that showed up to voice their opinions.

The gambling issue has divided lawmakers in Alabama, and is now threatening to create a civil war. The unhappiness began when Governor Riley created his Task Force on Illegal Gambling. The goal was simple, seek out and raid any establishment where electronic bingo games were being offered.

Riley, early on in the process, deemed the machines an illegal form of gambling. He vowed to stop this type of entertainment, and even had the support of the state Supreme Court in several rulings. Still other lower court judges, however, ruled these machines to be legal.

Once the battle began in the courts, residents of Alabama started to question why they have not had a say as to the legality of the machines. Several legislators have heard from people they represent, and offered a solution that is currently moving through the legislature.

A Bill has been proposed that would put the future of electronic bingo gambling to a vote in the state. Governor Riley is against the Bill, but Attorney general Troy King is in favor of allowing the people of Alabama the right to decide the issue.

In the meantime, Riley's Task Force has continued to raid gambling establishments. Country Crossings and VictoryLand are two of the biggest employers in the state, and both have closed their doors while the legal issue is resolved.

There is a chance that the Governor will not be in office to see the completion of this debate. The gambling issue has become one of the rallying points for Gubernatorial hopefuls, with these candidates such as Ron Sparks building his campaign around the issue.

The scene Tuesday may likely have only been the first of what figures to be many public demonstrations from people on both sides of the issue. For those who had been in the dark before, Tuesday served as a reminder of just how nasty political issues can get.

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