Ala. bingo could expand beyond Greenetrack

BESSEMER, Ala. (AP) – The return of electronic bingo games to Greenetrack in Eutaw is causing other closed casinos to consider reopening games.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Eugene Verin has ruled that bingo operations in the western area of the county near Bessemer can reopen as long as the state government allows bingo operations to continue at Greenetrack. He ruled on a request Monday by the district attorney and city of Fairfield, which drew revenue from the games before they were shut down.

A lawyer for White Hall Entertainment Center in Lowndes County, Collins Pettaway Jr., said the closed casino is considering its options because of the new developments, but has made no decision.

An attorney for Country Crossing in Dothan, Sam Cherry, told The Dothan Eagle that officials are working with game manufacturers for a design that complies with Alabama law and he anticipates it reopening this year.

Mark White, attorney for VictoryLand in Shorter, said Tuesday, “Its status is being constantly evaluated,” but VictoryLand would hope to have an agreement with prosecutors before reopening games.

VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor and Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley are among 10 people awaiting trial June 6 on charges of buying and selling votes on pro-gambling legislation.

All non-Indian casinos in Alabama closed last year due to court rulings or pressure from the governor's gambling task force, which contended the games went far beyond the legal definition of bingo and became illegal slot machines.

Greenetrack became the first to reopen Friday when it unveiled 100 games that look more like computer monitors than the flashy Vegas-style games it and other privately operated casinos used to have. The reopening drew more people than the machines could accommodate, and Greenetrack officials said they plan to add several hundred more by April 1.

Alabama's new attorney general, Luther Strange, recently wrote the federal government in hopes of getting it to close the electronic bingo games at three Creek Indian casinos, but he was unsuccessful.

Strange told the National Indian Gaming Commission that it shouldn't allow the Indians to operate electronic bingo if private firms aren't doing it in Alabama. He got a reply saying Indian tribes are not bound by the state's definition of bingo. The commission said its rules provide that Indians can operate electronic bingo if a state allows paper bingo.

Deputy Attorney General Sonny Reagan said Tuesday that Strange is concerned some of the machines at the Indian casino are not electronic bingo, but are illegal slot machines. “We will continue to pursue our concerns with the National Indian Gaming Commission,” he said.

VictoryLand's attorney said the federal commission gave the attorney general the answer that everyone expected, but he said it seems hypocritical that Indian casinos that don't pay taxes can continue to operate while privately operated casinos are closed, even though they were large sources of tax revenue for local governments.