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Posts Tagged ‘Alabama’

Sparks Still Pushing for Gambling in AL

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Last week there were waves made in the gambling laws in Alabama. As you may or may not know, there were eleven people cited in various indictments in the state. They were all allegedly involved in taking as much as $2 million in bribe money to push for gambling to be legalized throughout the state. The parties involved were not small players, but rather “high ups” who had a lot of clout in the gambling world. Alabama is reeling for a lot of reasons due to the indictments and now is trying to come together to revisit the issue. The legal infractions were handed down by Montgomery County in the state. One legislator who is fighting still is the Democratic candidate for the position of governor Ron Sparks. He believes that the indictments in themselves are political in nature. With an election coming up, is it difficult to say why this exact time was chosen to bring up the issue of gambling. He believes that it was to put a bad spin on the activity and shore up opponents to legalizing gambling in the state of Alabama.

Sparks has long been a supporter of the activity. He believes like other proponents that it would be a sure fire way to bring in millions of dollars and jobs to the market. His position is that if he is elected, he will make sure that gambling is legalized and regulated throughout the state. Though he has a strong support system, it may be difficult for him to change the laws. Current Governor Robert Riley already has took a strong stand against gambling and even created the Task Force on Illegal Gambling. The final say some believe should be with the voting public, but even that is proving to be a difficult task. Recently a bill was proposed that would have done just that—put the issue up for vote in November of this year. It never made the ballot though because the anti-gambling Republican party rejected it. This means that the issue will have to be settled in other ways. It will take time to recover from the indictments since they named huge players in the political market as some of the biggest law breakers.

Alabama In the Midst of Gambling Indictments

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Alabama is having gambling problems and more are coming into the market. It seems that in the past the state tried to create a Task Force on Illegal Gambling. The purpose of the team was to uncover and then shut down any illegal gambling activities. The state also created a system of electronic bingo that was to be regulated sharply. This also was difficult to manage. Overall both plans are now threatening to put some lawmakers behind bars for their actions. A federal indictment was sent to four state senators, the owners of two gambling facilities in the state and gambling proponents. The indictment is the result of a change in gambling law that happened a few months ago and was pushed by the above parties.

It is a difficult time in Alabama due to the changes in gambling law. Governor Robert Riley has made his position clear—in fact he was the one who created the Task Force on Illegal Gambling. When the gaming world changed, he was one of the first ones to shoot it down. He claimed it was one of the most egregiously defiant pieces of legislations written in today’s world. This new move of indicting various lawmakers is vindication of sorts for Riley. The indictment notes that allegedly as much as $2 million was given to lawmakers as a bribe if they were to push for the new gambling laws to be pushed through. Though the legislation didn’t pass, it still brought up the issues and brought a lot if activities to light. Now Riley is using this as a way to prove his point that gambling brings crime and corruption. And who can argue with him? The millions of dollars available are proving to be too much for a lot of lawmakers to deny and they are looking out for their own interests in the debates. If financial gain is an issue, there are some legislators who are going to take advantage of it. The issue is shelved for now and legislators don’t want to get involved now. They know that it is the wrong time to get their feet wet in the world of gambling in the state of Alabama.

Race for Governor of AL Centers on Gambling Issue

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Recently the two candidates for governor of Alabama fought it out in a highly-publicized debate. One of the main issues was gambling within the state. Remember that gambling is pitting sides against each other and proving to be a political hot button these days. On one side legislators believe that legalizing gambling is what the market needs to bring in the millions of tax revenue dollars needed to turn around the economy. On the other hand, there is an equally passionate side that believes legalizing gambling would only bring more problems to the market. This side believes that gambling would increase addictions, crime, corruption and other criminal activities. The issue has been on the table for a few months now and laws are still being debated out. Alabama legislators have made it clear that gambling is a priority issue for the candidates.

Ron Sparks and Robert Bentley are both duking it out for governor of Alabama. Sparks has been pushing for months for regulated gambling within the state. He believes that a good gambling initiative could bring in millions of dollars and thousands of jobs to the market. On the other hand Bentley believes that that there are other, more viable options for bringing in the funds needed to manage the budget. He also stated that gambling has not helped other areas that have legalized it. It seems that this issue is what is taking center stage on priority topics during debates these days. The only telling incident is the focus of the voting public within the state. It seems that the lines are also drawn relatively evenly, but there is a slow rise in support for gambling. This most likely is due to the promise of additional jobs if gambling is legalized, and thus gambling casinos are brought with additional jobs. The market is struggling and is in need of a change. Jobs are highly-coveted in the state and a promise of new ones could considerably sway the voters into sustaining legalizing gambling. Once that happens, they will be pining for a governor who supports the goal of legalizing and regulating gambling in the state.

Victory Land in AL May be in Danger

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Alabama is still in the midst of gambling debates. Governor Riley has been a strong opponent to legalizing gambling and even created a task force specifically focused on gambling activities. The task force is busy finding and shutting down gambling within the state. Though right now Riley has been pining hard to shore up rules against gambling, he also is close to the end of his term as governor. This means that a lot of his staunch rulings against gambling may be challenged. Even residents who want gambling in the state are already planning on their own campaigns to bring gambling in. No one knows what the next governor’s stand on the issue will be and he may or may not be focused on making gambling legal. Either way, gambling will be an important issue for any candidate who moves into office as governor.

One location within the state that is making a big difference in the issue is Victory Land. That is a casino resort that has thousands of table games and video slots. The purpose of the casino is to bring the best gaming in the world to the residents of the area. It has had a lot of success and brought in its own share of dollars to the state. Unfortunately Riley has targeted the location for closing since it is a gambling operation. The business however has retaliated with a range of court ordered stays and such. There is a hefty battle between the two entities, each having their own solid reasons why their position should be upheld. One of the biggest arguments owners of Victory Land has is that if it is closed due to the governor’s task force that will put hundreds of residents out of work. The unemployment rates are still high in the country and a mass closing like this will do little to bring that number down and help people get back on their financial feet. Only time will tell what is going to happen with the business of gambling but one thing is for sure: gambling will continue to take a focus with legislators and they will affect residents and businesses alike within the market.

AL Governor May Have to Rethink Position on Gambling

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Alabama is heavy in debates over gambling. It’s no secret that every state is fighting out the legalization and regulation of gambling. On one hand you have those who are pro gambling- they believe that with the proper regulation gambling can bring in millions of tax revenue dollars. In today’s economy, there are few businesses that would turn down the millions available in additional money. On the other hand, there is the anti gambling group of supporters who believe that the ethical cost of having legalized gambling is too much to deal with. They believe that inevitably gambling would bring about too many other problems like crime, money laundering and addictions. Without the proper ways to manage these issues, it would mean sure disaster for communities.

Alabama is a state that has taken on a strong stand against gambling and Governor Robert Riley has been instrumental in the pitch to keep gambling out of the state. He created a task force to specifically handle gambling activities by finding them and then breaking them up. Though he has a supportive team, now it seems that a new argument is coming into the mix. The governor is targeting Victory Land. Victory Land is a gambling location within the state that currently holds the title of the largest employer in the state. That means if it is shut down, it will send thousands of residents to the unemployment line. Considering that the economy is still close to the recession, things have not leveled out as of yet. It may put these people on the brink of financial troubles if they now lose their jobs. Governor Riley is under attack because if he does shut down the location, it will adversely affect a huge portion of the state’s population. In the past few months there have been legal moves by both sides to continue the move on Victory Land. If the location is closed down due to the Task Force, then that could mean the confiscation of over 6,000 gambling machines. That would cut back on the revenue the state brings in and seriously put residents in financial danger.

AL Sees Issues with Gaming in Near Future

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Alabama has been debating gambling laws for a while now. Governor Robert Riley formed a Task Force on Illegal Gambling a few months ago and the purpose of the team was to control illegal gambling. They have swiftly taken action over the past few months to uncover, investigate and close down illegal operations. The problem is that shutting down various locations is also eliminating much-needed jobs. This is an offshoot of the problem that has yet to be addressed until now. Alabama residents are having issues and will continue with them throughout the future until this is sorted out completely.

Residents of the US have suffered a great loss in jobs in the past few years. The recession caused many businesses to shut down or to go through major cut backs. The unemployment rate soared and millions of Americans were left out of jobs. Now, that unemployment issue is still rearing its ugly head via new changes in the market. For example, in Alabama Greenetrack is one of the biggest companies and employs the highest number of workers in the state. Unfortunately it was hit hard by the Governor’s Task Force. The facility was raided and hundreds of bingo machines were seized. Once the machines were gone, the facility was shut down.

Although the Greenetrack is appealing the decision, that does little good for the hundreds of residents who are employed at the facility. They are at a loss for finding new jobs. Many have been with the facility for years and now are left in teh same unemployment line as the other millions of Americans are. So far, Attorney General King has tried to step into the actions of the Task Force. He believes that it needs to be regulated to not put hundreds of
residents in unemployment danger. It will take some time for the issue to sort itself out. Residents are left reeling while the legalities are sorted out. The governor will continue his directions to the Task Force, wanting them to continue finding illegal operations and shutting them down swiftly and completely.

Alabama Still Debating over Bingo

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Alabama is a state that has long been in the midst of debates over gambling and now bingo, namely, is up to the chopping block. Governor Bob Riley has been a force against gambling since the issue first arose a few years ago. He has consistently stood against it and pined for legislation to ban it within the state’s borders. Now he is taking aim at the state’s electronic bingo machines because they are an offshoot of slot machines, which are illegal within the state. So far the Governor has created a task force that is set to block all bingo machine gaming. The group must police the state and has already closed down over thirty gambling halls and left a few hundred people out of their jobs. Many of those closings happened in low-income, black areas and that is causing tension.

Black leaders are now issuing complaints about the loss of jobs in particular. They see the economy as still a harrowing one where jobs cannot be eliminated. They are also citing the losee of tax revenue from gambling as a reason why the governor should stop his adamant moves to thwart it altogether. Former state Senator George Clay is taking notice of the issue and citing the 1950s move to prevent desegregation of schools by shutting down the Macon County economy. He states that the moves Riley is making are reminiscent of the illegal moves made over a half-a-century ago.

John Tyson is the task force commander and he insists that this is not a repeat of the former incident. The one happening now does not prey on the innocent, as Tyson stated. Despite his argument, many are seeing a correlation between incidents since the communities involved are losing so much in the process. They claim that the governor is targeting low-income neighborhoods and they have no other reasonable replacement activities for jobs or revenue. Various individuals within the community are garnering help from political figures to stand against the governor’s move. They want to create a support system for laid-off bingo hall workers and a referendum vote to reopen the halls.

Alabama Gambling Debate Gaining Notice

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Whether it was his intention or not, Governor Robert Riley has made gambling a major issue in Alabama over the past year. The debates are only expected to get more heated this week with two of the biggest gambling establishments still closed. VictoryLand and Country Crossings closed after word of a planned gambling raid spread. The raid was to be carried out by Governor Riley’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling. Initially a judge ruled it unconstitutional for the raid to take place, however, a recent court order found that the under state constitution a raid may be legal.
Adding to the drama of the gambling debate, Representative Marcel Black introduced legislation this year that would allow voters to decide whether to legalize and regulate video gambling in Alabama. According to the polls, residents would likely vote in such a legislation in hopes that such legislation would aid in fixing the state’s budget deficit.
Alabama was one of the state’s that was largely against expanded gambling, but the economy has changed the minds of many residents and there is statewide dissatisfaction with how the current governor is handling gambling issues.  Many people in Alabama rely on their jobs at VictoryLand and Country Crossings to pay their bills. With the recent closures, these employees are panicky, not knowing whether or not they will be laid off for good and this has changed the minds of many of those who previously would have voted against legalizing gambling.

This week could play a big part in that answer. Legislators are pushing for the Supreme Court to define the gambling that is taking place on the bingo machines.  While all of this is going on, the Governor Riley plans to increase raids to end illegal gambling.  It will be interesting to see if he is successful in keeping gambling out of the state. The big draw is that gambling is known to bring in millions of dollars to state coffers. Since the recession, many states are at a loss of finding ways to generate big dollars and gambling could be just the answer they need to elevate revenues.

Alabama Protesters Want to Vote on Victoryland Casino

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Outside of Alabama’s state capitol, bus-loads of protesters were waiting to have their voices heard.  “Let us vote!”, they cried enthusiastically. Over 100 people were packed onto the steps of the state capitol building to take a stand against Governor Riley’s task force on illegal gambling.  The state is currently waiting for the Alabama Supreme Court to rule if they can follow through on a planned raid of Victoryland Casino.  The hang up, however, comes from a push in Montgomery from politicians and others to bring this continuing issue to a statewide vote. Despite protesters calling the Governor and his task force to task, the Governor isn’t backing down. He has been a long-standing opponent of the move and knows full well what a huge task he has before him if he is going to stand strong. Thus far, he is managing to uphold his position and deny casinos.

“About a year ago we determined that there was absolutely no gray area, no ambiguity in the law. The law is crystal clear that you can not do what these casino’s are doing today,” said Governor Riley. Shortly after leaving the capitol, the Governor had to leave to go to Washington, DC, where he and other legislators were to meet with President Barack Obama regarding energy issues. The Governor did take the chance outside the capitol, however, to say that he had a choice to make when the Attorney General and some local officials were unwilling to act and that’s why he created the task force on illegal gambling. Some believe that it is only a matter time before Riley is forced to relent.

The debates are still going on, but one thing that the legislators do know is that by eliminating gambilng, they are turning away the millions in tax-dollar revenue that could potentially help turn the state’s economy around for the good. It will be time before any changes are seen and until them, both parties are left to duke it out over legalizing the games. No one knows where it will end up, but if Riley has his way, he will stand firm on the issue and not allow the casinos to continue running.

Rivalries Intensify Between Alabama and Mississippi Casinos

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Casino operators in Biloxi, Miss., were the target of a little competitive surprise last month when a large blimp floating over their Gulf Coast rooftops invited gamblers to try their luck—but not at Mississippi complexes.  Instead, the 178-foot-long blimp sang the praises of Wind Creek Casino & Hotel, a 17-story resort 120 miles away in rural Alabama. Mississippi casinos have long been a stronghold of Southern gambling, but, as the competition for customers stiffens in the economic downturn, a growing number of luxury resorts in neighboring Alabama are vying to siphon off. Revenue at Mississippi casinos fell 8% in 2009 to $2.4 billion, which industry officials in both states attributed to the economy and more competition. Alabama officials say they don’t track casino revenue.

The battle between Alabama and Mississippi casinos comes as Alabama Republican Gov. Bob Riley is cracking down on electronic bingo machines, a popular form of gambling in the state. Mr. Riley says that because they qualify as slot machines, which are illegal in Alabama, the bingo machines are also illegal. Raids on establishments providing access to electronic bingo games were raided, and three have subsequently closed their doors.  While the Alabama Supreme Court rules on the legality of electronic bingo machines, thousands of Alabama casino employees are waiting to hear if they will still have jobs next week.

These type of state rivalries over gambling revenues are becoming more and more common.  Ohio voters approved an amendment in November to build casinos in four cities that the state hopes will draw gamblers, and revenue, from neighboring Indiana and Michigan. Pennsylvania casinos are luring gamblers from Atlantic City, where casino revenue fell 13% to $3.9 billion in 2009. “With the struggles in Mississippi, part of it obviously has to do with the economy, and part of it has to do with what’s happening to the east of ‘em,” said a smiling Jay Dorris, president and chief executive of Poarch Creek Indian Gaming Authority, which owns and operates Wind Creek and two other tribal casinos in the state.  Because Wind Creek operates with oversight from the National Indian Gaming Commission, a federal regulatory agency, the casino’s electronic gambling wouldn’t be affected by the Alabama Supreme Court ruling.