The Alexander City Outlook

Bingo legal?

The electronic bingo machines at Macon County’s VictoryLand are legal, according to District Attorney E. Paul Jones after he witnessed an inspection of the machines.

Jones said the machines are in line with the most recent electronic bingo ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court and the gaming facility should be able to reopen without fear of raids by Gov. Bob Riley’s task force.

“While I continue to believe, as do many legal experts, that the Alabama Supreme Court decision in regard to the Whitehall bingo hall does not apply to the Macon County amendment, Mr. (Milton) McGregor chose to re-configure his machines to comply with the ruling of the court in that opinion,” Jones said in a statement Monday. “I had promised everyone that I would inspect them in regard to compliance with requirements of the decision and I have now done so.”

During the “lengthy” demonstration, an expert from Gaming Laboratories International, a New Jersey firm that conducts such tests internationally, went step by step through the court’s six criteria and demonstrated that the machines met the requirements.

One such requirement was the games had to be played by more than one person and Jones said inspectors demonstrated the VictoryLand machines operated correctly in this aspect.

“There has to be other people playing in order for (the machines) to operate,” Jones said.

The court also stipulated that the players must announce a bingo in order to win and Jones said the inspectors proved this and other aspects as well.

“While Mr. McGregor has gone to great lengths to comply with the requirements of the White Hall case, my belief is that the machines are legal under Alabama law without the changes, particularly in view of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in Knowles v. VictoryLand. While I know the court can change the law next week, I just want to be sure we operate in compliance with the law as it exists today.”

Jones said he has no idea when the gaming facility will reopen, but added that he would notify the task force of his findings.