Riley Cracking Down on Slot Machines

Alabama Governor Bob Riley has made it very clear that he does not want slot machines in his state. He says that law enforcement has gotten lax about cracking down on illegal slot machines in the state, but that they are prepared to stop that, and to get back on it again.

Riley has created a new task force that will be investigating all gambling operations within the state and will be eliminating all illegal activity. One of the biggest problems he says that they have right now is the fact that there are many slot machines in the state that are being disguised as bingo machines, but they aren’t.

He says that there has been a recent increase in the number of bingo halls in the state, and with this increase has come an increase in slot machines. Many of these bingo halls say that their machines are not slot machines and that they are legal under state law. They say that they are covered by the local charity laws allowing them.

However, Riley points out that the Alabama Supreme Court reiterated in 2006 that slot machines are illegal no matter how you dress them up. The Alabama Constitution has been very clear about the legality of slot machines. This task force is going to be checking out every hall to ensure that the bingo machines they are using are not slot machines.

Riley says that all of the illegal slot machines are forcing an “unacceptable expansion” of gambling in the state.

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