"In Gadsden, Jasper, Dothan, Whitehall and elsewhere across Alabama bingo is springing up in many different forms...and it’s giving Attorney General Troy King a headache because the laws establishing the games are different in most every location.

There is no question about the legitimacy of the charity bingo games at VictoryLand in Macon County, approved by a local constitutional amendment by the voters there, or the legality at Poarch Creek Indian operations at Atmore, Wetumpka and Montgomery. The Poarch Creeks can offer any game that is legal at any other location in the state. They can offer pari-mutuel betting if they wish to do so, but not Class III gaming, which consists of table games such as craps, poker, roulette and blackjack. Those games are not legal anywhere in the state.

Now Gov. Bob Riley is creating more confusion by forming a task force to investigate all gambling in the state. Riley’s task force has no teeth whatsoever and is doing nothing more than interfering with King’s attempt to sort out the varying laws and give advice to local officials.

Riley has been cozy with the Mississippi Choctaw casino operators, getting millions in campaign dollars from them filtered through convicted scammer Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon, Riley’s former press spokesman in Congress."

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Bob Martin: Battle over Bingo is escalating (The Hartselle Enquirer 2/5)