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Country Crossing Further Engages Gambling Task Force In Another Court Battle

Posted on June 1st, 2010

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Alabama’s long running conflict on the issue of electronic gambling machines is not yet over. Not even after a ruling handed down by the state Supreme Court declaring that Gov. Bob Riley had and continues to have authority on the Task Force on Illegal Gambling which the governor had created, and that Attorney General Troy King could not take charge over the task force.

Troy King was appointed Attorney General by Gov. Bob Riley in March 2004 to cover a vacancy, and won a four-year term in the 2006 elections. As a result of the state Supreme Court’s decision, King handed authority back over to the governor. Riley, heartened by the Supreme Court’s ruling that favoured his zealous campaign against electronic bingo machines that, in his view, were slots machines illegal under Alabama gambling law, immediately issued press releases that the governor’s anti-gambling task force would carry on its fight against the illegal bingo machines and that the raids on gambling facilities would continue.

All of Alabama’s gambling halls have shut down to avoid further raids by the governor’s anti-gambling task force. Country Crossings near Dothan, one of the largest gambling halls in Alabama, announced that it will remain closed to protect its employees and customers. However, the casino refuses to give up. The gambling facility, through it representatives, filed a motion asking the federal court to block the governor and his task force from making any more raids.

Country Crossings casino is one of Alabama’s largest providers of employment to the state’s residents. Its closure could mean thousands of workers being left out of work. The 1,000 or so “temporary layoffs” of Country Crossings have been promised assistance by the government. The state has notified those people who have been rendered unemployed by the closure of the gambling halls that they would be granted access to unemployment benefits.

Employees are not the only ones affected by the ongoing court battle over the issue of electronic bingo machines in Alabama. Some patrons who had winning tickets which had not been redeemed are in a quandary as to when and if their winning vouchers could be exchanged for cash. The casino allows a period of 180 days from the day the winning vouchers were printed in order to convert them into cash.

Those holders of winning tickets that are nearing expiration may not be able to cash them in when the time comes for the casino to operate again. Country Crossings, however, assured its patrons that, when their facility reopens, expired vouchers would still be honoured, but only those printed January 28 or 29. The gambling hall shut down on January 29 to prevent a raid by Riley’s task force from being carried out on their establishment.

On the political front, the gambling issue is likely have a prominent place on the gubernatorial candidates’ platform. The Democratic candidate for governor Ron Sparks has already announced that if elected governor, among his top priorities would be to disband the task force, reopen Country Crossing and give the former jobs back to its laid off employees.

He will also take steps to present the issue to voters of whether or not to regulate and tax the bingo gambling industry in Alabama. Sparks feels the closing of the gambling halls could further worsen the economic situation of Alabama and contribute to the rise in the state’s unemployment.

Senators have passed a constitutional amendment mandating a referendum on the issue, but the bill died in the House. Gov. Bob Riley has also endorsed Luther Strange for the position of Attorney General opposite Troy King in this year’s election.