An anti-gambling task force set up by Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) is vowing to go after casinos owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Riley's task force has been shutting down non-Indian facilities that operate electronic gaming machines. The next target is Poarch Creek Indian Gaming, the tribe's enterprise. "They're in play," Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr., who leads the Governor's Task Force on Illegal Gambling, told The Mobile Press-Register. The state lacks jurisdiction on Indian lands but Tyson and other officials believe they can force the closure of the tribe's facilities if all other gaming facilities -- including bingo halls -- are closed. Tyson apparently received campaign contributions from the tribe during his failed run for state attorney general. He also received donations from non-Indian gaming interests. Get the Story:
2 casinos in state temporarily close doors; Tyson vows to continue assault on gambling (The Mobile Press-Register 2/3) An Opinion:
OUR VIEW: Now the gambling interests worry about the corrupting influence money given to candidates can have on the political process? (The Birmingham News 2/3)