More than a dozen bingo halls raided and closed by state police in effort to stop illegal gambling
By Mattie Davis
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BESSEMER, Alabama (WVTM) — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall held a press conference Wednesday to address raids at 14 illegal bingo facilities in five cities, including unincorporated Jefferson County.
The Attorney General’s Office worked with ALEA, FBI, and DEA to shut down the facilities that had more than 2,400 illegal slot machines combined.
“If you drive around where these halls are located, you will notice they’re raking in tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars a month,” Marshall said. “They’re not lifting these communities up. Nobody’s property value has gone up as a result of the illegal facilities, the economies in these areas have not improved, no neighborhood has flourished as a result of the presence of these so-called casinos.”
Marshall said the facilities were negatively impacting the law-abiding citizens, the communities, and residents deserve elected officials willing to keep illegal gambling out.
“I can’t speak for local officials and their positions on why they have allowed it to continue,” Marshall said. “We cannot authorize, in fact, it undermines the legitimacy of law enforcement, to allow that to continue.”
But some who live in the area near Super Highway Bingo, one of the establishments that was shut down, said they aren’t happy about the move.
“I live in the area,” Satpen Rock said. “These places don’t cause any crime. People know they’re being suckered when they come in here. But they enjoy it. The entertainment, the music, the free food, people being nice to them. The guards will walk you out to your car if you win bingo. After a while, it’ll open back up. I’ve seen it happen for the past 20 years here.”
Marshall said there is a hearing scheduled for April 21 for a final decision on the temporary restraining orders. State leaders said to expect more raids to come.
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