- The Supreme Court in Alabama officially decided that electronic gambling machines in both Lowndes and Macon County would not be given legal clearance to operate.
- The Sheriff and Mayor in Macon County both expressed frustrations over the Supreme Court ruling because of the economic benefits of the casinos operating the machines.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After years of hearings being dismissed, electronic bingo has been made illegal for casinos in the counties of Macon and Lowndes. The Supreme Court ruling was a 9-0 decision after local courts had allowed the activity in the past.
Long Fight Against Electronic Bingo In Alabama
These bingo machines that are electronic caught the attention of state officials in Alabama and a lawsuit was filed against the casinos in 2017 for offering illegal gambling and being a public nuisance to society.
Even though this ruling prevents legal electronic bingo machines in these two Alabama counties, residents still have access to traditional bingo and online gambling sites that are available all across the state of Alabama.
Steve Marshal, the Attorney General in Alabama, was the official that originally filed the lawsuit and has been pursuing the removal of the machines. After five years, his injunction has been granted and the casinos could be shut down in both counties that were operating and offering ecteronic bingo.
Electronic Bingo is too Similar to Slots
While both Macon and Lowndes County both have legal bingo allowed in the state, the Supreme Court concluded that electronic bingo does not match the definition of traditional bingo and is more similar to a slot machine.
Because a physical person is not yelling out a number for participants to manually cross off a bingo board, the bingo machines do break the law that was set to prevent gambling in Alabama, according to the Supreme Court. There are still USA online bingo sites available in Alabama, even though the physical casinos are not allowed to operate in an electronic form.
The Southern Star, White Hall, and Victoryland casinos will have 30 days to remove the electronic bingo machines from their properties.
While online legal gambling is still an option in these counties, Sheriff Andre Brunson of Macon County expressed his disappointment over the ruling. The Tuskegee Mayor Tony Haygood also expressed frustration because of the jobs and economic advantages that the casinos bring to Macon.