Editorial: Control of gambling at stake in Alabama

Thursday, December 10, 2009  

"Who controls gambling in Alabama?

Gov. Bob Riley? He'd like to run every slot machine masquerading as electronic bingo out of the state. But gambling interests don't seem to much care what he thinks.

The Alabama Supreme Court? It issued a ruling recently that tried to define what bingo is and isn't. The ruling doesn't bode well for the electronic bingo emporiums springing up in counties and small towns across the state.

Gambling interests are already trying to work around the ruling. Some of them insist that there are machines that will meet the Supreme Court's shiny new definition.

Attorney General Troy King? He studied up on the Supreme Court ruling and boldly decided to let local district attorneys decide how to enforce their own local laws, which, of course, differ from one constitutional amendment to the next.

The local district attorneys? We'll have to see what they do with the ruling.

The Alabama Legislature? Every year, one or more gambling bills come up and every year, they get shot down.

The Alabama Gaming Commission? We don't have one.

Native Americans? They run things on their reservations only."

Get the Story:
Editorial: How Alabama abdicates control of gambling (The Mobile Press-Register 12/9)