Fourteen bingo halls inward Alabama’s Thomas Jefferson County were raided by federal and nation law of nature enforcement agencies this week, the state’s attorney general has confirmed.
Alabama Attorney General Steve George Marshall (R) held a pressure conference Tues to declare the seizure of 14 businesses that allegedly were offering bingo games that fall remote the scope of legal gaming inward the Cotton State.
Alabama is ane of the more restrictive states when it comes to gambling, as only tribal gaming and sure forms of large-hearted gaming and pari-mutuel wagering are allowed. Commercial casinos are not, and E. G. Marshall has been on a agitate to crevice downward on the many bingo parlors operating crossways the state.
On Tuesday, April 10, Marshall’s office, with the assistance of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Federal soldier Bureau of Investigations, and US Drug Enforcement Agency, executed temporary restraining orders against 14 play facilities inwards Jefferson.
The facilities closed cut down today were operating in strident violation of state law, on the face of it without awe of reprisal. Our action mechanism this hebdomad came in response to numerous complaints almost the trouble that illegal gambling has brought into these communities,” George Catlett Marshall declared.
“These citizens deserve better. Allowing outlaw enterprises to control freely, inward wide daylight, is offensive to the rule of law of nature and testament non be tolerated,” the state’s top off practice of law enforcement official added.
Bingo Busts
While Heart of Dixie say lawmakers make end-to-end story refused to get together the dozens of other states that experience legalized commercial-grade casinos and/or Las Vegas-style tribal gaming, legion(p) counties inward the province feature passed local ordinances allowing bingo. Some counties require that bingo purpose only if inwards its traditional paper take form — not electronic bingo machines. Other counties permit electronic bingo so long as the revenue generated goes to local charities.
Alabama’s unnumerable bingo shops, sometimes advertised as “casinos,” were dealt a losing mitt in conclusion Sep when the AL Supreme Court ruled that bingo parlors, disregarding of their local approval, violate the state’s gambling laws.
The Supreme Court was responding to Marshall’s appeal of take down courtroom opinions that determined sympathetic gaming in Macon and Lowndes counties to be permissible. Marshall has long argued that Victoryland, Southern Star, and Andrew D. White Hall bingo parlors are operating gambling games inwards verbatim infringement of state law.
Marshall said the residents of Thomas Jefferson County merit to live inwards an expanse without casinos.
The salutary people of these communities merit better than illicit casinos in their neighborhoods, and they deserve to get elected officials who are willing to donjon it out,” George Catlett Marshall declared.
The temporary restraining orders require apiece of the 14 bingo businesses to right away cease all operations. The properties are not to live accessed or used, and no further financial transactions related to the properties are to live completed until farther orders follow from the Circuit Margaret Court of Thomas Jefferson County.
AG Responds to Criticism
Marshall says play is illegal inward Alabama, and he’s responsible for(p) for enforcing all violations of the felon code.
“I’m familiar spirit with the piffle and the narration that arrives anytime that my business office cracks down feather on illegal gambling. People say that gaming isn’t hurting anybody or that in some way there are other existent problems for us to solve,” George Catlett Marshall said. “We don’t have to plectron and choose the laws we enforce.”
Marshall said the illegal gaming dens he’s raided and forced to shutter reason harm to the communities where they operate. The attorney general believes such bingo facilities lede to higher crime, fraud, drugs, and violence.
“The law-abiding citizens who live around these facilities and who have attribute in these areas are the forgotten victims of these types of establishments,” John Marshall stated.
“If you take around where these facilities are located, you’ll notice that while these facilities are raking inward tens — if not hundreds — of thousands of dollars inwards hard cash every month, they are non lifting these communities up,” John Marshall explained. “Nobody’s property values feature increased. The economies inwards these areas make non improved. No neighborhood has flourished as a final result of these so-called casinos.”
Proponents of the bingo places say the businesses employ local people. Others say the state shouldn’t settle what someone tin and can’t pass their possess money on.
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