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.

There has been somewhat of a backlash with slots gaming. There still is a highly charged anti-gaming side of the world debate on the games that believes that they should not be running so rampant in our culture. Pennsylvania is a state that made headlines due to its increase in slots gaming. Of course the games are lucrative and a draw for gamblers everywhere. As one expert put it, ‘You may not be able to join a $50 poker table, but you can afford a penny-slots game easily.’ This flexibility is what makes the games to popular with legislators. They know that the games speak to a maximized customer base and need to keep on bringing games in to maximize their own revenues from them. Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania recently defended his stance on gaming and made his argument on network television. One of the biggest arguments against increasing slots gaming is that addicts are drawn to the games due to their ease and speed of play. Rendell stated that he believes that addicts already have their standard casinos to frequent. Pennsylvania introducing another one is not going to make a tangible difference in their activities.

He believes that addicts are a different animal altogether—they are going to find casinos to wager at whether or not Pennsylvania is the creator of them, or not. Why shouldn’t the market benefit? Still, the anti-gaming activists believe that the increase in slots inevitably puts the states in a difficult position if problems continue to arise. If the number of gamblers with problems continues to increase, what are states going to do to increase their gambling centers for help? How are states going to fund more centers, more counselors and more general resources for gamers who have a problem? They want to make sure that legislators like governor Rendell are ready for the added strain and have a backup contingency plan to manage it. Of course, there are few discussions on what that plan may be, or even if one is in place, but that is part of the issue that gaming has to sort out as it continues to develop.

One of the biggest problems with the Ohio market is the governor’s decision making. When Ted Strickland was first campaigning for the position of governor, he was thoroughly opposed to slots gaming. His main argument against the games was that they potentially could cause more problems in the market. Most anti-gambling activists cite the following problems with legalizing slots:

• Addiction issues. Studies have shown that the most addictive games in a casino are the slots. Partly becuase of the wager requirements and the fun factor the games has are the reasons for addictions. People have been known to set wager limits, but then forget about them once a gambling game is in full swing. Slots are built to be a lot of fun and that could be a trap that gamers could fall into quickly.
• Crime. Anti-gambling activists insist that bringing in gambling could open the door for a lot of other crimes like money laundering and corruption. They believe that legalizing gambilng could bring more problems and create a bigger expense than solution to the market. For example, if gambling brings in $1-million per month, the police force needed to monitor the casino and neighboring areas could eat away at more than half of that revenue.
• Limited revenue. There is no guarantee that the revenues being brought in are going to last for long periods of time. It could be that the revenues may spike when casinos are first open, but the numbers can consistently decline. If legislators are too reliant on gambling, they could be seriously let down if it underperforms for the market of gambling.

Governor Strickland first was on the side of anti-gambling supporters. Voters found him to be the best candidate because of his position on gambling. Then he turned his belief around. He quickly stated that a “reassessment” of the market was his reason for changing. He now believes that the money that could come in from slots is the best way of helping the market. Whether or not slots will truly come up with a solution for the market has yet to be revealed. Governor Strickland is still on the side of pro-gamblign now and pushing for expansion in the market.

Ohio governor started the problem of gambling off on the wrong foot. When Governor Strickland was just a candidate for the position, he maintained firmly that he would not be allowing gambling into the state. He was one of those staunch believers that gambling would bring in more problems the state was not prepared to face if they allowed it in. he cited crime and corruption, along with addiction and money laundering as problems that would be increasing in the market if they said yes to gambling of any kind. Now he seems to be changing his tune. The governor made waves with his turnaround on the position of gambling. He now is pushing to get slot machines legalized in the state of Ohio.

Because of his relenting on the issue, many voters feel like they were duped from the beginning. Many noted that the reason they voted for the governor was because he seemed to be taking a firm stand on the issue. That was the tipping point that warranted their support. Now that he changed his mind, they are questioning his motives. Is he just another politician who goes where the money is? Many are asking this question wondering if there is any point in still supporting him. The governor’s change of mind is bringing more gambling issues to light. It seems that race tracks within the state are hoping to bring in slots gaming as a means of saving their own economies. They are hoping that slots can reinvigorate their numbers and bring them up to what they were pre-recession. There are few other options racing companies can use to spur on new business and slots gaming could be the last ditch effort for them to try. Governor Strickland already noted that he is in support of bringing slots into race tracks. As it stands now, race track owners just need to get permission from the US Federal Court to make the addition to their business models. This created more problems for the voting public because not only are slots and gambling entering one market, they are also most likely going to enter the racing market too. Gambling could be the next big thing in the market and that isn’t what they voted for.

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.

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.