MONTGOMERY, Al. – Supporters of electronic bingo in Alabama came out in force at the end of last week to protest against the closure of bingo halls across the state and the severe unemployment it has caused in many areas.
Over 200 people protested outside the Alabama Supreme Court on Friday. The majority of the protestors came from Greenetrack bingo hall, which has recently had all its machines seized by Governor Bob Riley’s anti-gambling task force. Representatives from other Alabama bingo facilities came to protest alongside their Greenetrack colleagues.
The protest group have the support of some important people in Alabama, including state senator Bobby Singleton, who came to the protest representing Greenetrack. He said that the bingo hall is seeking legal advice on how to pursue the matter further.
He told reporters from WAFF48 Newsthat, “We’re now waiting on the supreme court justices to appoint a judge to hear that case, and we think that once they hear that case, based on the Greenetrack amendment saying that they could play electronic bingo, that they will find out that we are legal and that it is a legal establishment.”
Governor Riley maintains that electronic bingo machines are are illegal slot machines and says that his task force are only upholding state law when they seize machines from bingo halls.
