• Posts Tagged ‘Alabama’

    Alabama Legislators Still Debating Slots

    Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

    One state that has long been having problems with slots gambling is Alabama. No one can debate how prolific the machines are or how much money they can bring in, but there are other laws that are up for grabs. The former governor Riley stated very clearly that the games should not be allowed due to their own state constitution. He had a good argument and it was law at the time. The problem now though is that he is no longer in office so the issue is being revisited by pro-gambling lawmakers and activists. They see the issue as a logical one. If the state needs money, why not open the door for slots gaming to supplement? The fact is that there are few other options when it comes to building big revenue than gambling. It is a billion-dollar business that consistently performs for states all over the US. No one can argue the amount of money that slots gaming, and gambling in general, bring into a jurisdiction when they are working well. Alabama is a state just like the others in that it is working with a seriously diminished state coffer thanks to the recession. It has to work with different innovations to help bring in the money it needs for survival. Gambling would still be a huge benefit due to how much money is involved but there is the legal issue that has to be hurdled before any changes regarding gambling can be made and implemented.

    Right now the issue is being reopened but it is still a long way off from being sorted out. There are plenty of options when it comes to gambling and regulating it within a state. The state’s new governor has handed the issue off though and has remained close-mouthed on what he wants to do. This is leaving casino companies in a state of flux and they are having a difficult time with moving forward on any kind of growth or development. Only time will tell what is going to happen with the issue. Many experts believe that eventually the state will have to give in and create some kind of gambling plan to work with.

    AL Waiting for Slots Gaming Chanes with New Governor

    Friday, January 14th, 2011

    Alabama is one of those states that has gone through its share of changes in the market. The state formerly was governed by Bob Riley. He was an anti-gambling activist who claimed that he would never allow slots gaming into the state. His argument was that it would open the door to other crimes, and then put the state on the defense to fight against them. Anti-gambling organizations were behind him and believed the same. They attribute rises in crime, money laundering, corruption and addiction to the legalization of gambling. Though this isn’t necessarily proven, it stands to reason that it is likely. If you increase the pool of gamblers, there inevitably will arise more problems to manage. This is part of the reason why the ex-governor was so anti-gambling. He believed that the best decision for the state was to keep slots gaming out of it and avoid the issues that come along with legalizing gambling.

    The question now is what is new governor Elect Robert Bentley going to do with the issue. He has stated that he will hand the issue over to the Attorney General and let him decide what to do. So far the Attorney General Luther Strange has made it clear that he agreed with the former governor and wants to ban slots gaming. He formed a task force to specifically target the games and make sure they are not operating within the state. His goal was to eliminate all illegal slot operations and keep them out of establishments that do not have the proper licensing for them. Many businesses were hoping that Bentley would change his mind and make a push for the games. They were hoping he would be more like pro-gambling activists and at least consider a different plan other than to completely ban the operations of gaming. Of course this could still change, but it isn’t going to happen any time soon. Businesses of course were hoping that they would be able to elevate their own revenues with the games and increase their own revenues that much more. It doesn’t seem like this is going to happen any time soon though.

    AL Having Problems with Slots Gaming

    Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

    The changing world of gambling is affecting many different areas in the US. Now it is the state of Alabama that is having problems. The tribal leaders within the state are pushing for separatism. They want to function as a separate entity with its own rules that are far beyond what the rules of the state are. This is just another example of how slot machines and gambling in general are affecting the outcomes of the legal world. They are pushing for changes and serious legislation. Legislators are playing with various rules but are a far way off of building laws that effectively manage the world. In the world of gambling, there are billions of dollars to be had. It is estimated that the gambling business is worth $3 billion right now and that number should reach $7 billion by the year 2014. That means that legislators everywhere are scrambling to get a piece of that pie. Even the recession couldn’t keep gambling down. Sure if affected how people were wagering, but the minute things started turning around, people began changing their gambling methods. They once again reentered the market to take advantage of the gaming fun out there and the potential to win money.

    Alabama is just another state that has some serious decisions to make. Many legislators are concerned that the tribal leaders are moving to a separatist philosophy that won’t work. Some are saying their decision to separate is to rid themselves from paying taxes to the state. They want to make sure that their slots revenue is growing, but they don’t have to contribute a large portion of that to the state, which is common with all states. Normally a tribe is allowed to operate gaming centers on US soil in exchange for contributing a huge portion of their revenue to the state. It is an agreement that has worked with other states and Alabama legislators are pushing for the same laws to work here. Casino leaders are not making it easy though. They are hoping to separate and set their own laws and rules regarding gaming money. Due to the huge amount of money available though, most likely legislators are not going to let the issue go the way tribal leaders want.

    Alabama Closes in on illegal Slots Gaming

    Sunday, October 31st, 2010

    The question of legalizing gambling is up for debate yet again. One side believes the money is too much to turn down and the other side believes that despite the money, the cost to society would be too great. No one knows which side is right, but the need for huge funds to fight off the deficit is still a priority for legislators everywhere. There are few other options when it comes to raising the money needed to overcome budget shortfalls. It is no wonder why legislators are pushing for legalization of gambling. They know that few other options are available to generate what is needed. Slots are being pushed to legalization, but with cautions. Anti-gambling activists are promoting that gambling will inevitably bring in more crime and corruption. Though this isn’t proven, the signs of the economy are showing there may be some validity to this.

    Recently in Alabama there were some issues regarding illegal activities. Eleven people are being called into question about their activities. They are being accused of selling votes for a new bill that would legalize slots in the state. They have pled not guilty to the charges but now the issue is up to be heard by a grand jury. This is a sign of how hot the issue is in the market. There are millions of dollars being thrown around to square away the issue. This is what the anti-gambling action was talking about. They believe that because of the huge dollars, there is a higher chance of people taking bribes and people being swayed to whatever side is paying the most. This is a definite issue and is being confirmed by the various things happening in the world. There are more controversies coming to light of illegal activities. The Alabama incident is by no means the first one. Poland for example saw its own controversial moves when politicians were able paid off with bribes. Overall it is a complicated history for the development of gambling in the market. It will take more time to sort through, but most likely slots will be legalized in the near future in one state after another.

    Alabama is in Debates Over Slots Gaming

    Sunday, October 24th, 2010

    Alabama is one of those states that is having a rush of illegal gambling activities. The state just realized a new illegal slot machine ring. There is some controversy though. The owner of County Crossings has long operated his own bingo machines in his establishment. It hasn’t proven to be an issue with locals knowing full well about his operations. They know that he is operating a slew of machines that all offer excellent gaming. So far he has contributed to the market not only in tax revenue but also in employing people to run County Crossings. He is now in for a fight however. Legislators want to shut him down because slots gambling is not allowed in the state of Alabama. The games have long been denied approval in the area and that isn’t scheduled to change anytime soon. The governor is a strong anti-gambling backer and has reiterated his intent to never allow the games into the market. The owner of County Crossings however is ready to fight.

    County Crossing’s owner has been operating the games though slot machines are illegal for a reason. He believes that his games are not slots, rather they are bingo games. Therefore they don’t fall under the same heading as gambling games. Though the law does not allow for “bingo games”, things are sketchy on what he can do to protect his livelihood. For a few months now there have been threats of a raid on his facility and he is trying to come up with ways to avoid that. His latest petition is for the law to come in and arrest him. He believes that this would allow him the chance to speak up for himself and make his own case on why his games are not gambling in nature. He should be allowed to still operate them and wants the opportunity to prove his case. Only time will tell whether or not he will get the chance or if legislators are just going to go ahead with the all-out raid that they were planning. Hopefully he will get the chance to state his case—either to a judge or via his lawyer if he is arrested in the end.

    Alabama Governor Moves to Keep Slot Out

    Monday, February 1st, 2010

    Alabama is in the midst of a huge debate regarding bingo machines. Governor Bob Riley has taken one more step forward in his goal to eliminate all bingo machines from the state. He believes that bingo machines are simply slot machines in disguise and maintains that slot machines at these bingo parlors are illegal. Because of those two factors, he wants all the machines removed from the state. The bingo parlors are upset to say the least and have been fighting the issue vehemently. They say that bingo is legal in the state and he should not be able to take that away from them.

    Riley says that bingo is legal in the state but that slot machines are not and because of that they need to go. He contends that if they want to play bingo they need to play with the markers, balls and cards, and not with electronic slot machines. He has gotten opposition from the parlors as well as many within the government itself. The biggest issue is money. There are huge dollars available by keeping the games in the state and without them, there will be more deficits to deal with throughout the country.

    There is good news for Riley, however. He just won the latest case involving the slot machines. The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the governor stating that the bingo machines are a form of gambling and because of that they are illegal. They decided that bingo is a card game, not an electronic game. The court said that based on the officer’s testimony that they had no doubt that the bingo games were slot machines due to the games’ look and gaming.

    Now that the decision was made, Riley believes that his cabinet knows where the line of legal and illegal is being drawn with regards to gambling. He has already contacted game manufacturers who supply the machines to the state and told them that they are no longer allowed to bring in new machines. He also said that the state will take on the responsibility of monitoring the games in the state and assure the voting public that more games will not be allowed in.

     

    AL Governor Riley Suffers Blow to His Anti-Slots Campaign

    Friday, January 22nd, 2010

    Alabama Governor Bob Riley is having a difficult time with the gambling issue. For months now he has campaigned hard to keep illegal slot machines out of the state but he is getting little support from legislators. He has had various rulings against him regarding the issue. A formal ruling came against him when he tried to ban bars and pubs from having slot machines. He created a task force to combat illegal slot machines and put people in line to help enforce new laws. Legislators shot down his decision though and yet another battle was lost. It’s been months since the battle began and both sides have worked tirelessly to state their point of the issue.

    One of the main issues he has is now coming down to his own cabinet. Recently, David Barber stepped down as the head of Riley’s anti gambling task force saying that he had done nothing illegal but was aware of the appearance of impropriety. The tough part about this is that Barber was hand picked by Riley for the job. It’s not good news for Riley who is seeing his own reputation sullied at the turn of events leading up to his appointee’s resignation.

    The trouble began when Barber was caught playing at a Mississippi casino. Though that isn’t illegal, considering his position with Riley, it was a highly questionable act. He is after all the appointee to help run a task force against gambling and then he is caught gambling. In the end, Barber not only played at the casino, he also won more than $2,300. The issue is not necessarily the fact that he was playing slot machines; it was that the campaign against them had made this a moral issue. If the lead of his anti-slot machine group was playing the games, then obviously he did not truly believe that there was anything wrong with the slot machines. In the world of emotionally-charged debates, actions speak louder than words. And Barber’s small move to play slots was a loud sign for those in support of legalizing gambling and regulating it for the purpose of millions of dollars in tax-revenues.

     

    Legislators in Alabama are Joining the Debate over Slots

    Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

    Alabama is another state bitterly embroiled in the debate over slot machines and their legalization. Governor Bob Riley is vehemently standing against the games and hoping that they are thwarted. His belief is that electronic bingo games should be outlawed in the state because of their similarities to slot machines. Slots are illegal already and he wants to build on that law by including electronic bingo. There is a huge portion of the state’s voting public that agrees with the governor on the issue of slot machines and bingo machines. They also believe the similarities should make both illegal and banned from operating.

    The Attorney General of the state Troy King is on the opposing side of the issue. He believes that “not all bingo games are actually slot machines.” That mere statement has created much dissention in the state. It has drawn up sides clearly of the opposing sides of the issue. King believes that bingo games are far enough away from slots that they should be allowed into the state. He is also pushing the argument that slots can bring huge revenues to a state that needs them desperately.

    Gubernatorial candidate Bill Johnson is criticizing Riley’s decision to remove slots from the state. He claims that funds for Riley’s campaign came from Mississippi Indian casino owners. This is a point of contention and he believes that it is enough to call Riley someone who should not be trusted, or voted for, by the voting public. He is using the slot machine issue to tear down his opponent and hoping that he finds enough of a supporting public to push him into office.

    The debate over slot machines has grown exponentially over the past few years. Though at one time slots were thought of as a land-based casino game only, in today’s market, they are slowly moving into the mainstream market. Gambling in general is taking on a new life as big-name commercial companies move to sponsor various high-profile gambling tournaments and events throughout the world. It’s a testament to the popularity of gambling and its movement into the everyday world.

    Alabama Fights For Slots Title

    Sunday, January 10th, 2010

    Alabama is a state looking to revamp their slots parlors. The state officials know that they need to step up their game if they are to remain viable in the gambling market. For a long time the state has taken a beating from the Mississippi Gulf coast gambling industry. The two have gone head to head and Alabama has been the loser for most of the competition. Now the state is making moves to change that.

    The state of Alabama is now making big changes in their slots market. In fact, the state is looking for new technologies and growth in the market of slot machines to help them overhaul their gambling. The new slot machines and their parlors are all top-notch in technology and although they are not Class III slot machines they are electronic bingo games. The state of Alabama does not allow the actual slot machines to be played in state, but the games look so much like slot machines, players seldom recognize the difference. The great thing about the games is that they offer users the same amount of gaming experience and fun that “normal” slot machines would.

    The hotels and slot machine parlors are all being heralded as high-end and luxurious venues. They are taking a model from Las Vegas casinos that are decadent and rich in look, atmosphere and vibe. Hours of focus are put into the state’s slots parlors and they are looking to show the state’s gamblers and those of neighboring states that they can stand up against the premiere gambling reputation of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The state is done playing second fiddle to Mississippi and trying its best to revamp its image.

    Overall, every state is currently working to utilize slots gambling as a means of bringing in high dollars. The problem is the recession threw state budgets off– while money was stifled from coming in, expenses continued to soar. Unless Alabama is able to turn their economy around by using slots gambling, the state could continue to suffer financially. Without the gambling revenues, there are few other options to bring in the millions of dollars the state sorely needs.

    AL Moves to Rid State of Slot-Like Bingo Machines

    Thursday, December 17th, 2009

    Alabama is moving towards its goal ridding the state of all bingo machines. Governor Bob Riley has been campaigning heavily within the state telling people that bingo machines are “merely slot machines in disguise.” He believes that the machines at bingo parlors are illegal and wants them completely removed from the state immediately. Bingo parlors are upset because they believe that bingo is legal in the state, and therefore their machines should be allowed. They are also stating that the governor does not have the authority to eliminate the machines.

    Riley agrees with state law that says that bingo is legal in the jurisdiction, but separates the bingo machines in a category of their own. He believes that if customers want to play bingo, they need to stick to the method of play that involves a bingo card, markers and balls. The very translation of the game to the electronic medium, makes it worthy of elimination. Riley has gotten opposition from slots parlors and other members of the Alabama state government. They are pushing for the machines to remain in the state, mostly because they see the machines as added ways of bringing revenue into the economy.

    Recently Governor Riley has a small victory in his fight. The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled in  favor of the governor citing the bingo machines as a “sham” and illegal in the market. They agreed with Riley stating that bingo should remain a “card game” and not an electronic game. The court based their decision on the officer’s testimony that they had no doubt that bingo games were slot machines, as they looked and played just like the former. Riley said that his task force has a clear mandate as to what is legal and what is not. The bingo machines do not fall into the category of legal gaming.  Because of the decision, states that ship slot machines to Alabama have been notified that they are no longer allowed to continue business. The suppliers of the machines are now responsible for regulating the slot machine industry in their own states and need to be sure to not cross state lines in the future to remain compliant.