Alabama Supreme Court rules against electronic bingo casinos
The Alabama Supreme Court has banned gambling operations at three Alabama casinos.
US.- An unanimous Alabama Supreme Court decision will force Victoryland, Southern Star, and White Hall Casinos to cease gambling operations, according to the state’s attorney general. The state of Alabama has successfully cracked down on illegal electronic bingo machines within a battle going on for about ten years.
“The Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion makes clear what my office has maintained from the start: these gambling enterprises are not only patently illegal under Alabama law, but also a menace to public health, morals, safety, and welfare,” attorney general Steve Marshall said in a statement. “Today’s decision will forbid the Southern Star, White Hall and VictoryLand casinos from offering their slot-machine gambling to the public.”
The ruling gives the circuit courts in Macon and Lowndes counties 30 days to issue injunctions to stop electronic bingo in their counties.
“In the five years since I filed lawsuits to cease illegal gambling in five different counties across the state,” Marshall added, “I have prevailed in court against one deep-pocketed gambling enterprise after another: in 2017, against the River City Casino in Morgan County; in 2018, against the Center Stage casino in Houston County; and, today, against the Southern Star and White Hall casinos in Lowndes County and the Victoryland casino in Macon County.”
In June, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that Greenetrack in Greene County must pay $76m in unpaid taxes and interest owed to the Alabama Department of Revenue. Marshall’s lawsuit against gambling at Greenetrack is still being considered.
