The fight in Alabama over the right for Victoryland entertainment venue to remain open and offer electronic bingo continues. This week, Governor Robert Bentley penned a letter together with Attorney General Luther Strange, demanding that the sheriffs and district attorneys of Macon County and Lowndes County extend their assistance in shutting down Victoryland once again. The venue has been the site of a constant battle between the operators of Victoryland who say that they are not going against Alabama’s strict anti-gambling laws, and the Governor who believes they are.
In a raid on Victoryland in 2013, state officials seized over 1,600 electronic bingo machines and closed up the venue, claiming that the gaming machines went against the state’s constitution. After three years, Victoryland’s management said the the entertainment venue would reopen, following an announcement by Macon County Sheriff Andre Brunson that the machines complied with state laws.
VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor said in a statement: “While it has taken longer than we hoped, the time is now here, and we are pleased that hundreds of our people will have a new job, and VictoryLand will be generating a badly needed shot in the arm for Tuskegee and this entire region of Alabama.”
“My only concern is taking care of the customers and doing what we want to do for the county and the surrounding area,” he said, adding that he was not concerned that the state officials would raid Victoryland again.
McGregor may be celebrating too early, however, with the news that Governor Bentley has far from given up on his objective to shut Victoryland once more. The Attorney General issued his own statement, saying that electronic bingo was illegal.
“The governor has expressly told the sheriff and district attorney in Macon County that they need to do their job and enforce state gambling laws,” said Strange. “If those local officials are disregarding the governor’s order and facilitating illegal activity, then I expect the governor to take action. I stand ready to work with the Governor and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to stop illegal gambling and other crimes.”
Macon County’s sheriff would not comment on how his office would deal with the new demands put on him by the Attorney General and the governor that they reply with a plan of action by September 30th, saying only that he would try to do what is right for the people of the county and enforce the law.
