Column: Poarch Creek gaming empire grows with state's help

VictoryLand, with a combination of dog track and electronic gambling, once had the largest operation in the state with over 6,000 machines. That was before State Attorney General Luther Strange raided racetrack just east of Montgomery, shutting its doors.

Where did those gambling machines go that were deemed illegal by AG Strange? They were delivered by the folks who owned them directly to the then five non-Indian casinos in Green County and to some of the Poarch Creek casino buildings. Green County has now added a sixth casino using electronic bingo machines.

So what did I just say? Perhaps I can be clearer. Our Attorney General oversaw the removal of gambling devices he deemed in violation of Alabama law from one location in Alabama for use in other locations in Alabama.

My question to Mr. Strange is: Have these machines now been cleansed of their illegality by moving them out of Macon County, where they permitted employment for some the poorest of our citizens in Alabama, and taken to another Alabama location that has six non-Indian gambling operations? Are those operations legal, Mr. Strange?

The fact is that the machines at VictoryLand are not illegal in Alabama. An Amendment to Alabama’s constitution clearly permits Macon County to have “all types of bingo,” which is pretty clear language to my thinking. I suppose they could even have it played in the dirt, where I used to shoot marbles as a kid.