Alabama: Shuttering Indian Gambling

Anti-gambling issue fades in Alabama Legislature
By George Altman, Washington Bureau Press-Register

Leaders from both parties agreed that a federal corruption probe, arising out of lobbying efforts last year to legalize electronic bingo, has discouraged and stifled gambling supporters.

But gambling opponents have also done little on the matter. That is despite a letter from the federal agency in charge of Indian gaming suggesting that Alabama might have a chance to shutter Indian electronic bingo casinos if it banned old-fashioned paper bingo.

Such a ban was proposed last year. This year, however, Republicans, who won control of the Legislature in elections in November, maintain that existing law already prohibits electronic bingo machines at Indian casinos.

"I don’t think we should ever let any federal agency dictate to us what Alabama law should be," said Sen. Bryan Taylor, R-Prattville. "Especially when I believe the federal agency’s interpretation of federal law is erroneous."

Taylor is one of the few lawmakers to introduce a bill that addresses gambling at all. He would upgrade the punishment for possessing a gambling device from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony, punishable by one to 10 years in prison and up to a $15,000 fine.



...a search of last year’s bills turns up 25 containing the word "bingo."

But bingo’s momentum collapsed in the closing days of the 2010 session, when the FBI revealed an ongoing probe of gambling-related lobbying.

A month before the November election, federal officials arrested 11 people, including lawmakers, lobbyists and the men behind two of the state’s largest gambling venues.

Democrats, who largely supported gambling legalization, were trounced at the polls, and Republicans, most of whom opposed gambling, swept to power.

"The makeup of the Legislature changed dramatically in the 2010 election, and the Republican leadership is simply opposed to expanding gambling — particularly slot machine gambling — in Alabama, so it’s a non-starter," Stacy said.

He added that no anti-gambling bills are needed because the slots-like electronic bingo machines at the center of the controversy are, in his view, clearly illegal.