1. Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Slots
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  3. Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Biloxi
  4. Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Poker
  5. Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Biloxi
  6. Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Slot Machines

When it comes to states synonymous with the South and its traditions, there may be no greater representative than Alabama. Its contributions and appearances in American history are legion, both good and bad.

However, there may be no state more confused about its identity with respect to gambling than Alabama. It has forged its own unique place as perhaps the most on-again, off-again state in the union.

List of casinos in the U.S. State of Alabama; Casino City County State District Type Comments Victoryland: Shorter: Macon: Alabama: Racino (greyhound) No table games Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Atmore: Atmore: Escambia: Alabama: Native American: No table games 31°06′14″N 87°29′00″W  /  31.1038°N 87.4834°W  /. BAYOU LA BATRE, AL – Two disused riverboat casinos docked in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, broke free this morning as Hurricane Sally inched toward land. The two boats were captured floating away. Mobile, AL 36606 Mobile Greyhound Park 7101 Old Pascagoula Rd, Theodore, AL 36582 Club Casino 7790 Tanner Rd, Mobile, AL 36608 IP Casino Resort Spa 850 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39530 Beau Rivage Resort & Casino 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530. Alabama bill proposes lottery and Poarch Creeks casino plan. A bill introduced this week in the Alabama Senate proposes both a state lottery and the Poarch Creek Indians' plan to add Vegas-style casino gaming and two new casinos.

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Online gambling

Alabama’s official stance on online gambling is similar to that of many states. There is no law definitively for or against online gambling in the Heart of Dixie. However, the only brand of gambling that is securely legal in Alabama is pari-mutuel facilities.

Furthermore, there is no state lottery in Alabama. This negates a common avenue for proponents of gambling to introduce slot machine-type gambling to regions of the country. So, the current climate for typical online gambling is fairly negative, even though its status under the law is uncertain. AL sports betting is not yet legal.

However, Alabama is moving forward with the Fantasy Sports Bill. It recently cleared the state house and could become law in the near future. The bill, dubbed HB354, now moves to the Alabama State Senate. In theory, it could be on the governor’s desk within a few weeks. There are some rumbles of constitutional difficulty with the bill though, because of Alabama’s express prohibition of gambling in its chief legislative document.

Interestingly though, supporters of the bill have managed to turn the discourse about DFS into one where daily fantasy sports is primarily a skill game. Thus it cannot be considered gambling under state law. This structuring of the argument could potentially open the door for other expansions in the state for skill-heavy games, such as poker. For right now, the best thing to do is wait and see. But it does seem that things might be shifting down on the Delta.

Likely online gambling operators

Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos
OperatorNotes
FanDuel/DraftKingsLargest daily fantasy sports operators – likely waiting in the wings for legislation to pass
The Poarch Band of Creek IndiansOwn three casinos in eastern Alabama
Milton McGregorOwns Victoryland racino and has endured work stoppages, lawsuits, and even arrests to bring gambling to Alabamans

Social casino options

The social casino options in Alabama are typical of most states. Slotomania, Double Down Casino, Big Fish, ZyngaPoker, and Zynga Slots are all available.

However, Alabama’s laws are uniquely harsh when it comes to enforcement. Even social gambling is barred inside the state, to the point that players in home games have found themselves on the receiving end of the criminal justice system. Players should exercise great caution in playing any type of casino game in Alabama. This includes the free social ones on Facebook or mobile devices.

The option about which to be especially cautious is MyVegas. This is MGM’s free slots app that allows players to build up loyalty points in a banked account. The danger lies in the fact that these loyalty points can be exchanged for real-world comps at participating MGM properties and partners, including some properties in nearby Mississippi. It would not be a stretch for Alabama to apply its stringent anti-gambling laws to the receipt of these prizes.

State casino operator history

Pari-Mutuel wagering

Alabama has one of the more hit-and-miss gambling histories in the US. The state legalized pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog races in 1971. Its first track opened in 1973, but the tracks have been malingering along by offering less-prestigious greyhound racing for several years.

Bingo

Its first bingo parlor opened in 1980 when a single county legalized it (Jefferson, through constitutional amendment). However, the state has had to pass 18 more amendments to bring bingo to each new county that desires the game.

Most notably, the game of electronic bingo has gone back and forth in legality several times since 2003. Voters in Macon County approved a constitutional amendment to allow the machines at the Victoryland racetrack. This began a comical cycle of the facility placing machines at the location and the government confiscating the machines and associated cash, along with closing down the entire facility, only to have the racetrack reopen again with new machines. This cycle has occurred at least twice, and many small debates have raged between these blow-ups. As of September 2016, Alabamans can once again play electronic bingo at Victoryland. No word on when the next raid and shutdown will occur.

Lottery

The state does not offer a lottery option to its residents, even though lottery is often the exception for many states (like Texas) that are traditionally opposed to gambling. Various important citizens in the state have been campaigning for a lottery since 1993. In fact, it was a major plank for Don Siegelman when he successfully ran for governor in 1998. Even so, he still couldn’t get the constitution amended to allow lottery. There was hope for some movement in 2020, but the regular legislative session adjourned without a hearing on any lottery proposals.

Casinos

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 allowed federally recognized tribes to operate gaming facilities on tribal lands, and in Alabama, the only tribe to do so is the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The tribe operates three Class II facilities (meaning no table games) in the eastern part of the state. They generate tax revenue for Alabama’s government. Naturally, the state sued the tribe in 2013 to close the three casinos. It took two years of litigation to finally have the suit thrown out.

The most silver of linings for Alabama residents is the state’s proximity to Mississippi. There are two different areas of note for casino gambling in Mississippi – Biloxi/Gulfport and Tunica. Over 30 casinos are spread across Alabama’s neighbor to the west, and the Biloxi locations are especially accessible to residents in the southern part of Alabama. Mobile is a short hour’s drive away.

Still, much like flowers in the desert, four facilities have managed to find a way to live in the Heart of Dixie. They are listed below.

Land-based casinos

PropertyLocationOwnership
Wind Creek Casino and Hotel AtmoreAtmoreThe Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Wind Creek Casino and Hotel WetumpkaWetumpkaThe Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Wind Creek Casino and Hotel MontgomeryMontgomeryThe Poarch Band of Creek Indians
VictorylandShorterMilton McGregor
Casinos

State Legal Environment

Permitted/Offered?Notes & Restrictions
Land-Based Gambling YesPari-mutuel wagering mostly – some electronic bingo, but tentative legal status
Online GamblingNoDaily fantasy sports may be available soon
LotteryNo
Charitable or House-Based GamblingYesBingo only – NO SOCIAL GAMBLING
Minimum Gambling Age18 for pari-mutuel; 21 for casinos
Wind Creek Casino sign in Atmore

This is a list of casinos in Alabama.

List of casinos[edit]

List of casinos in the U.S. state of Alabama
CasinoCityCountyStateDistrictTypeComments
VictorylandShorterMaconAlabamaRacino (greyhound)No table games
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel AtmoreAtmoreEscambiaAlabamaNative AmericanNo table games 31°06′14″N87°29′00″W / 31.1038°N 87.4834°W
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel MontgomeryMontgomeryMontgomeryAlabamaNative AmericanNo table games
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel WetumpkaWetumpkaElmoreAlabamaNative AmericanNo table games 32°31′34″N86°12′30″W / 32.5260°N 86.2083°W

History[edit]

Legality of electronic bingo[edit]

Alabama has had many 'electronic bingo' parlors which feature slot machines that are or are similar to Class II gaming machines. The legality of these vary from county to county, and are in a near-constant state of flux. In particular, most such parlors were closed through the efforts of an anti-gambling task force put in place by Gov. Bob Riley early in 2010. But in March 2010, the Alabama Supreme Court determined that Riley did not have the authority to convene such a task force, but that power rested with Attorney GeneralTroy King. Shortly after the task force was sidelined, e-bingo parlors reopened in cities which had previously enacted ordinances permitting and regulating such halls. Additionally, Victoryland also reopened after a brief closure. (Greenetrack and the three Poarch Band of Indians gaming facilities did not close.)

At one time, several counties in Alabama featured numerous e-bingo halls, most notably Walker County, with halls large and small mostly concentrated along the former U.S. Highway 78 between Jasper and the Jefferson County line, ranging in size from converted small storefronts to large halls with hundreds of machines. But a ruling in a lawsuit by the Walker County sheriff determined that the machines in the county's halls were illegal, and the halls were forced to close. District attorneys in Jefferson County used that ruling to justify their order of closure for halls in that county. However, several large halls in Fairfield remained open because the city had passed specific ordinances permitting them. Those halls closed during the governor's task force raids in January 2010, but reopened on March 12, 2010 when the task force was invalidated. They again closed briefly in April 2010, as a part of the ongoing controversy over their legality and a dispute over jurisdiction between Riley and King.

In late May 2010, in yet another legal action in the anti-gambling feud between Riley and King, the Alabama Supreme Court determined that Riley had the ultimate authority to appoint an anti-gambling task force. Riley then announced plans to reactivate the task force, and the district attorney in the Bessemer Cutoff area of Jefferson County (including Fairfield) advised halls there to shut down immediately, or risk having their machines seized. King announced he would no longer interfere with the governor's efforts. Halls began closures on May 24, 2010. Victoryland and Greenetrack remained open for the time being. Poarch Creek operations were not affected, as the state has no jurisdiction over them.

Fairfield legalized large electronic bingo halls in mid-2009, with certain requirements for minimum number of gaming machines. Bamaco Bingo opened in September 2009 with more than 800 machines installed and announced plans for up to 5,000 machines. Two other large e-bingo halls, Bingo Fantastico and World Bingo, later opened adjacent to Bamaco, followed by Legacy Bingo in March 2010. All except Bingo Fantastico occupied empty 'big box' retail stores; Bingo Fantastico replaced a roller skating rink. Three other small bingo halls, including one that shared space with an automotive repair shop, were also located in Fairfield. The city received a permit fee of $100 per machine per month, and bingo was a major tax source for the city.

Bessemer, Alabama had some e-bingo halls in place, but their legality was in question due to a dispute between the city council, which voted to allow the halls, and the mayor, who opposed gambling. Those halls remained closed after the task force invalidation. Other smaller halls were located in cities and unincorporated areas near Bessemer; they also closed later.

Two other large e-bingo halls, Country Crossing in Dothan and White Hall Gaming Center between Selma and Montgomery, were shut down by the task force.

Throughout the controversy, the Poarch Creek band's operations not only continued, they expanded. Facilities in Wetumpka, Atmore and suburban Montgomery added to their gaming floors, and the Wetumpka and Atmore facilities added new high-rise hotels.

In July 2010, after all legal avenues were exhausted, state police and the task force shut down machines at Greenetrack in Eutaw, Alabama, then later at Victoryland. And on October 4, 2010, federal prosecutors filed charges against and arrested Victoryland owner Milton McGregor and several members of the Alabama State Senate in a corruption investigation regarding the entire affair.[1]

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In 2016, after winning a ruling in a federal court against the state, Victoryland reopened its electronic bingo floor on September 14, 2016.[2]

Gallery[edit]

Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Biloxi

See also[edit]

Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Poker

References[edit]

  1. ^Byerele, Dana (2010-10-04). 'VictoryLand owner, state senators arrested'. The Tuscaloosa News.
  2. ^Moon, Josh (September 14, 2016). ''Victoryland reopens to large crowd''. Montgomery Advertiser.

External links[edit]

Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Biloxi

  • Media related to Casinos in Alabama at Wikimedia Commons

Mobile Alabama Gambling Casinos Slot Machines

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