Riley Wants Input for New Gambling Bill 

Governor Bob Riley of Alabama is asking the legislative committee that is facing a new gambling bill to review it carefully before they vote on it. The new “Sweet Home Alabama” gambling bill legalizes slot machines within the state for the very first time. It also allows for casinos in every county in the state, and gives them criminal immunity if they break the state’s gambling laws. 

Riley said that he would like to see lawmakers discuss the bill with their constituents before they sign it. He said that the bill is not “necessary” to resolve the bingo debate. He says that state law has been very clear that bingo is the traditional form of the game with pen and paper – and not the electronic slot machine version that they are trying to pass off as a legal game.  

He said that this gambling bill is going to have long term consequences if it is signed and that if they are going to support it then they have to make sure that this is ok with the people that elected them to office. He said that he is sure that there are a lot of people out there that are not going to want to see legalized slot machines in the state, nor are they going to want to give the casinos carte blanche to do whatever they want.  

He said that he hopes that the legislators see the bill for what it really is, and that they don’t legalize slot machines in the state. He says that this bill is not any good for the state or for its residents and should be thrown out.