GreeneTrack casino constitutional amendment fails in Alabama Senate
A proposal to add an amendment to the state constitution that would keep GreeneTrack’s bingo casino operational has failed. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), failed Wednesday four votes shy of the necessary 21. Earlier this month, the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruled once again that electronic bingo is illegal in the Yellowhammer state, making the amendment’s passage necessary to continue operations at GreeneTrack. Singleton’s amendment would have limited “bingo gaming” in Greene County to “a licensed racetrack where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal”; defined bingo to allow it to be played on electronic machines; and it would have transferred oversight of bingo from the sheriff to a Greene County Gaming Commission.
Robert Bentley attempts to clear way for bingo casino to reopen
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is trying to clear the way for VictoryLand bingo casino and others to reopen. Bentley on Thursday signed an executive order that said local law enforcement should be the primary enforcer of gambling laws. He rescinded the first executive order he gave after taking office in 2011 that directed the responsibility to the attorney general’s office. The decision comes as the attorney general’s office is appealing a judge’s order to return seized machines to VictoryLand by Nov. 16 because other casinos continued to operate. Bentley said the court ruling raised concern about the “unequal enforcement” of Alabama gambling laws. The surprise move is the latest twist in the state’s long running legal battle over the legality of the slot machine look-alikes. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
