Bingo interests differ on what Supreme Court ruling would mean

Even before the long-awaited Alabama Supreme Court ruling involving electronic bingo in St. Clair County, opposing camps already disagree on what the ruling will mean.

A written release from Gov. Bob Riley’s press office Thursday announced Riley and St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor filed final briefs in the matter with the Alabama Supreme Court, and stated the anticipated ruling should bring finality to the issue.

“Now, finally, all the legal maneuvering is over and the Supreme Court has the opportunity to issue a final decision both in this case and the related White Hall litigation,” Riley said in a written release.

The St. Clair County case involves the legality of electronic bingo within the city limits of Ashville, while the White Hall case involves a bingo hall in Lowndes County in which machines were confiscated by law enforcement.

However, while Riley believes the Supreme Court ruling will provide a final answer for the legality of electronic bingo everywhere in Alabama, Country Crossing officials disagree. Country Crossing is a country music entertainment complex set to open south of Dothan in December, and includes an electronic bingo component.

“Simply put, the trial court in the St. Clair County case did not examine electronic bingo machines. Therefore, there is no evidence in the record from which the Supreme Court can conclude that those, or any other, bingo machines are or are not slot machines,” said Country Crossing spokesperson Jay Walker. “This case before the state Supreme Court deals strictly with whether or not the electronic bingo operators in St. Clair County were operating within the walls of the constitutional amendment for that county allowing electronic bingo.”

Similarly, Walker said, the White Hall case is narrow in scope and deals with whether or not the court properly issued an injunction against the operation.

Riley, however, said the briefs filed in the case deal directly with the issue of the machines’ legality.

“This case squarely presents the question of whether Alabama’s charity bingo amendments create a loophole in Alabama’s gambling prohibitions through which slot machines may freely pass,” the brief states. “It likewise squarely presents the question of whether fully automated computer simulations are all that is required to qualify as bingo for purposes of those amendments. Particularly given the massive influx of casino gambling that has besieged this State and continues to do so while this litigation remains pending, this Court should resolve these important questions now.”

Walker said it would be unfair to make a blanket statement about all machines based on a handful of machines in two counties.

“Governor Riley would like for the public to believe that all electronic bingo machines are illegal in the state of Alabama and is using the cases being heard as a platform to discuss his opinion on the matter,” Walker said. “The truth is that not all electronic bingo machines in the state are slot machines. There are several differences between the two and the outward appearance, one of Riley’s biggest arguments, is not one of them.”