Gambling king, VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor dies at 78
Gambling king and VictoryLand casino founder Milton McGregor died Sunday at the age of 78. Public relations firm Direct Communications said McGregor died peacefully in his Montgomery, Ala. home. An affable and charming fixture of the state’s business and political worlds, he advertised his casino with the slogan, which he drawled in Southern baritone, “Come join us… you can be a winner too.” His business interests included banking and nursing homes, but he was best known for developing a dog track-turned-casino in the Bible Belt state. The operation at one point boasted 6,400 electronic gambling machines, more than many Las Vegas casinos. Raised the son of a widow who ran a small town grocery, McGregor began finding success in the 1980s at the start of the video game craze, with an arcade and a business leasing the games. He opened VictoryLand dog track casino in Macon County in 1984 and later acquired a defunct horse track in Birmingham for dog racing. He then bet big on electronic bingo. Alabama law allows bingo in some locations, including Macon County. McGregor invested millions of dollars in a VictoryLand expansion, filling it with machines that played lightning quick games of bingo electronically, but on the outside replicated the experience of playing a slot machine with whirling displays and chimes. He added a swanky 300-room adjacent hotel and restaurants in an attempt to compete with neighboring Mississippi casinos. Macon County politicians praised McGregor for bringing jobs to the economically depressed county. But not everyone in the conservative state was pleased by his efforts. The state launched a still ongoing effort to close the casino, saying the slot machine-like games were illegal and not what was intended by the state laws allowing bingo. McGregor came out on the winning side of a high-profile government corruption case in 2012. Federal prosecutors in 2010 indicted McGregor, another casino developer, lobbyists and politicians on charges that they orchestrated a scheme to buy votes at the Alabama State House for gambling legislation. Prosecutors said McGregor was trying to ensure the continued operation of the casino that they said profited $40 million in a single year. A first trial ended with a hung jury. A second jury acquitted McGregor of all charges, and McGregor reopened the casino. “Now I’m focused on getting 3,000 people back to work and charities and governmental agencies receiving revenue, as they should have been all the time,” McGregor told The Associated Press after his acquittal. McGregor is survived by his wife of 50 years, Patricia Turner McGregor, daughter Kim McGregor and husband Dan Hix, daughter Cindy and husband Lewis Benefield. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Gov. Robert Bentley seeks comprehensive review of gambling in Alabama, forms new Gaming Council
Gov. Robert Bentley is calling for a comprehensive review of gambling in Alabama, with the formation of a panel to provide recommendations that could lead to substantial changes in how gaming is addressed throughout the state. On Monday, Bentley signed Executive Order 24, creating the Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming. The job of the council will be to examine both state and local laws on gambling, taxes generated, and evaluate the best practices on gambling in other states, as well as compare Alabama to federal legislation governing gaming. According to the governor’s official website, the board will include seven appointments by the governor, two from the Alabama House of Representatives — named by the House Speaker; one Democrat and one Republican — two appointments from the Alabama Senate chosen by the Senate President Pro Tem (one from each party as well) and additional appointments “as the governor deems necessary.” Also, the council will include a member of the Alabama Sheriffs Association and one from the Alabama District Attorneys Association, each appointed by the governor. Alabama has long struggled with the issue of gambling, as lawmakers faced several bills this year aimed at loosening gambling laws, allowing the state to take part in the lucrative gaming industry. Although several bills had made headway through the Legislature, Alabama Today has reported earlier that few have gained traction during the 2016 Legislative Session, which was “marred in controversy over ill-fated budgets and sexually explicit recordings.” In August, the Greene County Circuit Court sided with the state of the of Alabama over controversial seizures of electronic bingo machines at the Frontier Bingo of Knoxville. In March 2014, Alabama law enforcement officers raided several casinos in Greene County, seizing cash and more than 1,000 illegal bingo machines. The raids and subsequent ending of bingo operations were “extremely detrimental to the quality of life” in the region, according to some community leaders. Another salvo in the battle over gambling was fired by the VictoryLand Casino, which reopened despite a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court shutting down electronic bingo operations for nearly three years, The Shorter casino has been shuttered since 2013 when a raid by the state took 1,615 gambling machines and $260,000 in cash. The Supreme Court said in March that casino owners were passing off games as “bingo,” and the machines were illegal. Nevertheless, in August, VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor announced the state closure itself was illegal, and the casino reopened in September, without any immediate threat from local law enforcement. “While it has taken longer than we hoped,” McGregor said, “the time is now here, and we are pleased that hundreds of our people will have a new job, and VictoryLand will be generating a badly needed shot in the arm for Tuskegee and this entire region of Alabama.” In November 2015, Bentley rescinded an executive order disbanding his predecessor’s gambling task force, transferring enforcement powers to the office of Attorney Gen. Luther Strange. Strange had also pushed hard against gambling, mainly daily fantasy sports leagues operating in the state. Earlier this year, Strange had sent cease and desist letters to FanDuel and DraftKings, calling DFS “illegal gambling.” “As attorney general, it is my duty to uphold Alabama law, including the laws against illegal gambling,” Strange said in April. “Daily fantasy sports operators claim that they operate legally under Alabama law. However, paid daily fantasy sports contests are in fact illegal gambling under Alabama law.” The state’s attitude on gambling could change considerably, based on the recommendations of the newly formed Gaming Council. “Gaming in Alabama has been a long-term subject of dispute and controversy,” Bentley said in a statement. “This council will work to provide a fresh perspective on past efforts and a clear path forward as it pertains to gaming in the State of Alabama.” Bentley said he will soon name the appointees and set a date for the council’s first meeting. The board has been given a Jan. 31, 2017 deadline to present findings and recommendations on gambling to the Governor, the Senate President Pro Tem, and House Speaker.
Despite Alabama Supreme Court ruling, Victoryland casino reopens
Despite an Alabama Supreme Court ruling which shut down its electronic bingo operations for nearly three years, the controversial VictoryLand casino reopened Tuesday. Located in Shorter, the casino has been shuttered since 2013, when a raid by the state took 1,615 gambling machines and $260,000 in cash. In March, the state’s Supreme Court said the casino owners were passing off games as “bingo,” ruling the machines illegal. Last month, VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor announced the state closure was illegal, and the casino would reopen. “While it has taken longer than we hoped,” McGregor said in a statement, “the time is now here, and we are pleased that hundreds of our people will have a new job, and VictoryLand will be generating a badly needed shot in the arm for Tuskegee and this entire region of Alabama.” McGregor, who greeted customers at the reopening, said he was not concerned that the state would raid the facility again. “My only concern is taking care of the customers and doing what we want to do for the county and the surrounding area,” McGregor told AL.com. Macon County sheriff and district attorney both say the new machines are legal, he added. The dispute stems from a long-running legal battle over electronic bingo machines, where some say look and feel like slot machines. A ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court said electronic bingo machines are not covered by state laws governing traditional paper bingo games used for charities and fundraisers. The electronic games are much like ones found in three casinos run by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which are not under the state’s jurisdiction. As for Tuesday’s grand reopening, New Canaan News reports that VictoryLand does not appear to be under any immediate legal threat from local law enforcement. In a statement last month, Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson said the machines are in compliance with state law. In November, Gov. Robert Bentley rescinded an executive order disbanding his predecessor’s gambling task force, transferring enforcement powers to the state attorney general’s office. According to Bentley, local officials should be the ones handling enforcement of gambling laws. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange also weighed in, saying past rulings of the Supreme Court have determined that “electronic bingo is illegal.” Strange released this statement Tuesday: “The governor has expressly told the sheriff and district attorney in Macon County that they need to do their job and enforce state gambling laws. If those local officials are disregarding the governor’s order and facilitating illegal activity, then I expect the governor to take action. I stand ready to work with the Governor and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to stop illegal gambling and other crimes.”
VictoryLand owner plans to reopen despite losing legal fight
VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor says he will reopen his casino later this year despite losing a three-year legal battle over the legality of electronic bingo machines. McGregor in a Monday press conference said he hoped to have the casino open by early summer. McGregor criticized last week’s Alabama Supreme Court ruling that electronic gambling machines that had been seized are illegal. The court ruled that the state could keep 1,615 gambling machines seized from VictoryLand in a 2013 raid. McGregor said he has agreements with machine manufacturers to provide machines for the reopening. The casino’s planned reopening could set off a new legal battle over the machines. ___ Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
VictoryLand to announce reopening within 2 weeks
Owner Milton McGregor said Friday he will announce his VictoryLand racetrack and gaming facilities reopening dates within two weeks. A news release indicated he hopes to begin operations again by Christmas, and expects to hire about 2,000 employees from Macon County and localities surrounding the Shorter, Alabama, facility. The casino was the subject of a lengthy legal battle after police raided VictoryLand in 2013, seizing $263,105 and 1,615 electronic bingo machines that law state law enforcement said violated anti-gambling laws. Attorney General Luther Strange brought the case against VictoryLand to court, but was not successful in shutting it down. Courts later ruled the casino may re-open, though it could not keep the seized assets. In October 2015, Montgomery Circuit Judge William Shashy dismissed the state’s case, saying prosecutors could not target one facility while others remained in business. The establishment is undergoing renovations and negotiating with vendors in order to return electronic bingo to Shorter, McGregor said.
