For two decades, various Alabama state officials have been trying to shut down the VictoryLand casino in Shorter, Macon County. Most recently, the state attorney general’s office requested an injunction to close the venue while waiting for a full trial that would prove VictoryLand is a public nuisance. But Circuit Court Judge Steve Perryman was having none of it.
He wrote, “The court has not heard any evidence of any minor entering the premises described in testimony or of any breaches of the peace upon such premises, or any non-party business invitee at such premises having made any complaint that he or she suffered endangerment to his or her public health, morals, safety or welfare.”
Perryman added if any such report were made, he would schedule a hearing and change his order if necessary. Meanwhile, he wrote, VictoryLand is to remain open.
At the hearing, attorneys for VictoryLand presented several witnesses who testified about the casino’s positive impact in Macon County, notably through tax revenue and charitable donations.
Former Governor Bob Riley was the first state official to claim VictoryLand and other casinos were operating illegally, followed by former Attorney General Luther Strange. However, the casinos and several circuit court judges consider the operations to be legal, protected by specific constitutional amendments granting the casinos the right to operate bingo games in electronic form. The casinos have won more than 20 circuit court cases challenging their rights to operate but the state Supreme Court frequently created legal steps to rule against the casinos; it even made up a “bingo test” that observers claim was a political maneuver.
Former Governor Robert Bentley signed an executive order granting local law enforcement authority over electronic bingo casinos. He said local officials could best determine what was beneficial for their counties. Governor Kay Ivey has mostly stayed out of the conflict. Recent polls have indicated more than two-thirds of Alabama voters support some form of gambling. Still, current Attorney General Steve Marshall tried to shut down the casinos four years ago when he ran for the post; previously he said he wasn’t interested in fighting electronic bingo
