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News Article


New attorney general visits gambling halls for personal look

July 02, 2004

SHORTER, Ala. -- Alabama's new attorney general made surprise visits to two central Alabama gambling halls Friday, saying he wanted to educate himself after receiving complaints about some electronic gambling machines being used in Alabama.

Officials at VictoryLand dog track in Shorter and the Poarch Creek Indians' gambling hall in Montgomery told Attorney General Troy King that every machine they have is legal and that none of them are slot machines.

"All I'm interested in this to make sure the law is followed. I'm not here to impound machines or padlock the doors," King said.

King said he plans to visit the state's other dog tracks and Indian gaming halls, but he wouldn't say what, if anything, he plans after that.

Danny Billingsley, a special agent on the attorney general's staff who tracks the gambling industry, said he did not see any machines that appear improper "to the best of my knowledge." But he said it's impossible to know about some machines without looking inside.

King and his staff did not open any machines or play any.

King, appointed by Gov. Bob Riley on March 8, said he has received complaints from the Christian Coalition and others that some of the machines being used in Alabama appear illegal. King said he had difficulty following the technical discussions about the machines because "I'm not a gambler" and the only time he had ever been in a casino was when he went to Philadelphia, Miss., a few years ago to see a concert by Johnny Cash.

The new attorney general said he decided to start visiting Alabama's gambling facilities unannounced and get an education.

At each gambling hall, security officers asked him to wait at the door until top officials arrived.

"We want to make sure everything going on here is legal," King told officials at the Creeks' Tallapoosa Entertainment Center.

"We'll be glad to work with you," said Arthur Mothershed, chief financial officer of Poarch Creek Indian Gaming.

Afterwards, King said he has no authority on Indian property, but that if he determines anything is improper, he can encourage federal authorities to act.

At VictoryLand, owner Milton McGregor showed King around.

"I don't want a publicity stunt," McGregor told King.

"I don't view what is being done today as a publicity stunt," King said. "This is an information-gathering assignment I'm on."

The track's gaming director, Stan Hubbard, explained to King that even though the machines have whirling designs like slot machines, they are based on traditional bingo games and have to be hooked together in a network with multiple players to work. Slot machines, which are illegal in Alabama, can work individually, he said.

After the tour, McGregor recounted how he had twice invited King to come and, even though King came unannounced, he was pleased that King was the first attorney general, to McGregor's knowledge, to visit the track.

"I'm glad you came. I hope you come back as a customer," McGregor told King.

The gambling halls visited by King varied greatly in their offerings. The Indian hall had 412 machines, while VictoryLand had 1,500 machines, as well as bingo games, simulcast horse races, and live dog races.

The Poarch Creek Indians also operate gambling halls on tribal lands in Wetumpka and Atmore. One other Alabama dog track, Greenetrack in Greene County, has electronic gambling machines like VictoryLand. Both tracks got them through constitutional amendments approved in 2003.

In this year's legislative session, a constitutional amendment to allow the machines at dog tracks in Jefferson and Mobile counties passed in the Senate but never came to a vote in the House.

McGregor said he expects the legislation to be back next year, with the tax revenue it would generate being dedicated to the state General Fund.

PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press Writer
Associated Press
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