The Alabama Attorney General’s office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency recently served search warrants on four electronic bingo halls in Jefferson County, seizing more than 1,100 electronic bingo machines, records and an unspecified amount of cash. A statement from the attorney general’s office said the raids were “taken as part of an ongoing and multifaceted criminal investigation.” It further noted, “The involvement of state law enforcement was necessary due to the opening of multiple facilities offering illegal electronic games and the failure of local law enforcement to enforce the law.”
Several individuals were arrested and charged with multiple counts of promoting gambling and possession of illegal gambling devices
The seized machines will be held as evidence and subject to a forfeiture procedure filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
The Alabama Supreme Court has definitively ruled that electronic bingo machines are illegal in the state and Attorney General Steve Marshall has previously said that state law is “crystal clear” that slot machines and electronic bingo machines are illegal. He recently accused Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway of not enforcing the law against the machines. Previously it was reported the sheriff’s brother, Bruce Pettway, was permitted to operate electronic bingo in Graysville but business license has since been canceled and refunded.
Meanwhile, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith said his office will continue to enforce gambling laws. “Illegal gambling is just that, illegal. It is not law enforcement’s role in society to make decisions on what laws will or won’t be enforced based on their own personal opinions. It is our role to understand and enforce the laws our legislature puts forth,” Smith said.
Last month Walker County Sheriff’s deputies seized 40 electronic bingo machines and other evidence from a Jasper business. Marshall praised the action, stating, “Alabama law is crystal clear. Electronic bingo and coin slot machines are illegal. No matter what the operators of these unlawful enterprises claim, the Alabama Supreme Court has definitively and repeatedly ruled that electronic bingo and coin slot machines are illegal gaming devices. There is no debate, there is no ambiguity. As the Supreme Court stated on March 31, 2016, all that is left to do is to enforce the law.”
Marshall added, “Should local agencies in other jurisdictions fail to enforce State laws on gambling, my office will take action as needed to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Smith explained which games are legal and which are illegal under Alabama’s gambling laws. Legal games include traditional “church style” bingo played on paper or plastic cards with bingo markers. It’s the only legal game of chance in Alabama. Also legal are games of skill which require a player to use any skill other than inserting coins and pushing a button, pulling a lever, etc., or a game that relies more on a player’s skill than random chance or luck.
Illegal games include electronic bingo and games of chance, which are
any game that can be won by no act of the player OR a game that relies more on chance than a player’s skill. Pushing a button or pulling a lever is not considered a skill under state law. Also illegal are lotteries or raffles; persons or organizations cannot sell tickets for a chance to win something else.
Additionally, any games can pay out in cash or anything redeemable for, or as, cash (for example, gift cards). All prizes awarded from games of skill must have a monetary value of less than $5. Businesses cannot award tags or allow tokens or points to be redeemable for cash.
