SHORTER, Ala. (AP) - Hundreds of state police were poised to raid two multimillion-dollar bingo operations in Alabama early Friday as lawyers scrambled for court orders to block the seizure of possibly thousands of electronic bingo machines.
The head of the governor's antigambling task force, Mobile District Attorney John Tyson Jr., told The Associated Press officers arrived at the VictoryLand complex in Macon County early Friday but were met by a lawyer for the gaming center.
A judge in Alexander City blocked the raid during an early morning hearing, and Tyson said was going to the Alabama Supreme Court to get the order set aside.
Meanwhile, state troopers arrived at the new Country Crossing development in Dothan before dawn. The Dothan Eagle reports that more than 100 government and trooper vehicles were parked outside, with troopers standing at the doors awaiting instructions.
The governor contends electronic bingo machines at both gaming halls are illegal slot machines, but casino owners say they meet Alabama's law allowing bingo.
VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor cut the ribbon Dec. 9 on a 300-room luxury hotel at the complex in Shorter, about 20 miles east of Montgomery on Interstate 85. The hotel and entertainment additions are a $100 million investment in a gambling complex that started with a dog track 25 years ago.
VictoryLand now holds 6,400 electronic bingo machines, more than any single casino in Nevada, New Jersey or Mississippi has slot machines, according to Casino City's North American Gaming Almanac.
Country Crossing in the southeast corner of the state opened its $87 million first phase on Dec. 1, with more new attractions in the new year pushing the total investment over $200 million. It has some 1,700 electronic bingo machines.
Gov. Bob Riley's task force attempted to raid Country Crossing in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 6, but a judge issued an order blocking it. The Alabama Supreme Court later shelved that order, and another judge took the case this week.
The task force previously had been unable to get a search warrant to raid VictoryLand in Macon County.
Last year it conducted a raid at the White Hall casino in Lowndes County, seizing about 100 of the 900 machines and more than $500,000 in cash. The case is in court, and the casino has been operating with new equipment.
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