Alabama AG vows to drop Indian gaming case if he loses decision


The Wind Creek Wetumpka gaming facility in Wetumpka, Alabama. Photo from Facebook

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange says he will drop his lawsuit against the Poarch Band of Creek Indians if he loses the next round in the case.

A federal judge dismissed the suit in April, holding that the state lacks jurisdiction over Class II activities in Indian Country. Strange has taken the case to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals but insists that will be his final stop if he doesn't win.

"We’ll see how the court comes down on that," Strange told WALA. "If the court rules for the Indian tribes, that will be the end of the issue.”

Strange claims the tribe offers electronic machines that should be classified as Class III. The National Indian Gaming Commission has repeatedly concluded otherwise but the state hasn't sued the agency.

“The Indians advertise their facilities as casinos, but they call what they are doing electronic bingo,” Strange told The Alexander City Outlook. “We consider them to be slot machines. Slot machines are illegal everywhere in Alabama. It’s my job to uphold the Constitution and uphold the laws of this state.”

Get the Story:
Strange talks gambling, election and state law (The Alexander City Outlook 9/10)
“End of the issue”: If courts rule for Indian gaming (WALA 8/8)

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