AL lawmakers busted on casino bills

AL lawmakers busted on casino bills

A "conspiracy to offer and bribe legislators for their votes and influence on proposed legislation" has surfaced in Alabama, and arrests have been made in connection with gambling.


Several lobbyists, four state senators, and the owner of the largest casino in the state were among the 11 arrested by FBI agents on Monday. According to the indictment, the individuals conspired to make payments and campaign donations to affect "pro-gambling legislation."

Les Bernal, executive director of Stop Predatory Gambling, contends the casino owners spend millions on public relations because they know the public is not necessarily interested in having casinos

"The casino interests do this because what they don't want to have to talk about is their business. They don't want to have to talk about how it's a business that's based on preying on families, breaking families apart [and] pushing people into debt," Bernal suggests. "There's no business in America that's more predatory than casinos and lotteries."

He calls the Alabama situation "pay to prey."

"The problem that casinos bring in to our culture is that it's a business based on the delusion of money, so they spread money around," the anti-gambling activist explains. "They're the biggest spenders today in American political culture. Six out of the ten of the top funders of political causes nationwide are now casino interests."

The federal investigation was announced last spring just before the bill was voted on, but the measure died when there was no longer sufficient support.