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Judge Permanently Bans Electronic Bingo Machines At Alabama Casino

Macon County Circuit Court Judge Steven Perryman permanently banned VictoryLand Casino from hosting electronic bingo machines.

Woman Holds book that says Alabama law bans electronic bingo
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Katarina Vojvodic Avatar
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VictoryLand Casino in Macon County will no longer be able to offer electronic bingo machines on its premises. The Alabama gambling venue will not be able to:

  • Have the machines on its premises
  • Receive money from the machines
  • Transfer electronic bingo machines to any other facility in the county

Macon County Circuit Court Judge Steven Perryman made the decision and issued it on June 12, saying the terminals “violate local laws.”

The verdict comes nine months after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled against the electronic bingo machines. The court order mandated removing the electronic bingo machines by Jan. 15, 2023, from the three Alabama bingo halls:

  1. VictoryLand (Macon County)
  2. Whitehall (Lowndes County)
  3. Southern Star (Lowndes County)

In a unanimous 9-0 ruling issued Sept. 30, the state’s highest court ruled electronic bingo machines are illegal gambling devices.

AG Steve Marshall accuses Alabama casino of illegal gambling

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall initiated the issue of legality against VictoryLand, he accused the casino of illegal gambling.

According to the Al.com news article, Marshall said in a statement issued Tuesday:

“Electronic bingo machines are a blatant violation of state law, and the Alabama Supreme Court has reaffirmed this time and time again. Similar to the facilities in Morgan, Houston and Lowndes Counties, the Macon County facilities are permanently prohibited from using electronic bingo machines moving forward.”

Judge Perryman said that the injunction would only be lifted if Alabama legalized electronic bingo.

What do Alabama casinos offer?

The ruling underlines that only bingo games played on actual physical cards are legal in some parts of the state. Each county can decide whether to allow bingo games with a charitable element.

Alabama law prohibits lotteries and most forms of gambling. It is one of five states that don’t allow any form of lottery.

Alabama legislature approves limited gambling exceptions, including pari-mutuel betting. HHR machines allow bettors to gamble on horse and dog racing (live and simulcast) in Greene, Jefferson, Macon, and Mobile counties.

Alabama does not allow online gambling, so there are no online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker rooms available in the state. The latest bill aiming to introduce sports betting and casinos to the state managed to pass the Alabama Senate before it was shut down.

Katarina Vojvodic Avatar
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Katarina Vojvodic is a lead writer for PlayUSA who lives in Toronto. Vojvodic provides coverage of the US gambling industry with a focus on US online casinos. Previously, she covered Ontario’s online gambling industry for PlayCanada.com. Vojvodic holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade. Outside working hours, she can be found near the water with her husband and their two kids.

View all posts by Katarina Vojvodic

Katarina Vojvodic is a lead writer for PlayUSA who lives in Toronto. Vojvodic provides coverage of the US gambling industry with a focus on US online casinos. Previously, she covered Ontario’s online gambling industry for PlayCanada.com. Vojvodic holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade. Outside working hours, she can be found near the water with her husband and their two kids.