Milton McGregor is dusting the furniture at VictoryLand as the casino prepares to reopen soon.
Last week, Circuit Judge William Shashy ruled in favor of the Alabama casino, saying the state was “cherry picking” its enforcement of gambling laws when it shut down VictoryLand several years ago, AL.com reported.
Two years ago, the attorney general’s office sought to forfeit 1,615 bingo machines, claiming the machines are illegal gambling devices. The state also seized $263,000 from the casino, but Shashy the company that owns VictoryLand had “substantial evidence” that electronic bingo was authorized in a charity bingo amendment approved by local voters in 2003.
Shashy said there are four casinos in Greene County and two casinos in Lowndes County operating a total of 1,798 electronic bingo machines.
“The state did not deny the existence of these casinos or the electronic bingo machines,” the judge said, according to the report. “Thus, the court reiterates its ruling that the state of Alabama is cherry picking which facilities should remain opened or closed, and this court will not be used as an instrument to perpetuate this unfair treatment.”
The state was ordered to return the machines and cash unless it initiated legal action against all Alabama casinos within 45 days.
Attorney General Luther Strange has already filed a motion seeking a stay on the order, which he calls “very unusual” and “silly,” news outlet WTVM reported. The state maintains the seized machines are slot machines that don’t meet the state Supreme Court’s definition of bingo.
Pa. slots revenue rise 4% in September
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania also scored its own win after revenue from the state’s slot machines rose in September.
Through its website, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said September gross revenue from slot machines at the 12 casinos reached $187.6 million, a 4.04 percent increase compared to last year’s $180.3 million. The tax revenue for September reached $100.24 million.
Among the 12 casinos, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem had the highest jump in revenues at $24.9 million, up 17.03 percent from $21.275 in the same period last year.
Meadows Casino’s slots revenue also jumped 5.99 percent to $17.543 million last month. Kevin Brogan, director of marketing at The Meadows, attributed the jump in revenue partly to the Labor Day weekend that fell in September this year, according to Observer-Reporter.
The average number of slot machines operating daily at the Pennsylvania’s casinos was 26,229 last month, which is slightly lower than last year’s 26,400, PGCB said.
