Alabama
Leaders Cannot Agree
The battle for slot machines and bingo machines continues in Alabama with no signs of stopping. Gov. Bob
Riley is bound and determined to eliminate all slot machines
from the state. He says that the electronic bingo games that are
throughout the state are actually illegal slot machines and he
wants them all removed. Many within the state agree with the
governor as they say that they have not approved slot machines
to come in under the disguise of being bingo machines.
This is an ongoing battle because although the governor says
that all of the electronic bingo machines are actually slot
machines, Alabama Atty. Gen. Troy King released a statement in
2004 where he said that not all bingo games are actually slot
machines. This of course led to a fairly major upset where bingo
operators feel that they were vindicated and Riley felt betrayed
and said that the report meant absolutely nothing.
Bill Johnson, who is currently running for governor, says that
he feels that Riley's dedication to removing the slot machines
from the state has more to do with monies that were donated to
his campaign by the Mississippi Indian casino owners than it
does with removing bingo games. They don't want slot machines in
the state because it draws business away from their casinos.
Johnson says that Riley is allowing the tribes to dictate public
policy.
What is interesting is that a battle of this nature is not going
across party lines, rather both men are Republicans and are
fighting vehemently on opposite sides of the line. Johnson is
not necessarily against the slot machines being in the state, as
he says that although officially slot machines are illegal in
the state of Alabama
in these machines are simply bingo.
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