The Walker County Sheriff’s Office shut down three suspected illegal gambling operations.
Investigators were accompanied by an Inspector with the Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control Board.
A search warrant was executed at one of the locations due to the possibility that there was more than one business at the location.
The three locations were in Empire, Manchester, and just outside of Carbon Hill. All 3 were public businesses.
Investigators seized slot machines and U.S. Currency.
For those that desire meaningful change to Alabama’s gambling policy, it will require action by the Alabama Legislature and the Governor followed by a vote of the people of Alabama to amend the state constitution.
Alabama voters rejected a proposed education lottery in 1999, and since then, more than 180 gambling bills have been introduced in the Legislature, all the while gambling litigation continues in the courts.
**Reference: GAMBLING IN ALABAMA, Governor’s Study Group on Gambling Policy 2020. This 876 page document was created by the members of the Governor’s Study Group on Gambling Policy to provide detailed and accurate factual findings to the Governor, the Legislature and the people of Alabama, per Executive Order No. 719.
“Until a constitutional amendment for gambling is in place, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office will continue to prioritize resources for Major Crime, Drug dealing (with emphasis on Fentanyl dealers), and search and rescue operations,” Sheriff Nick Smith said. “While prioritizing those resources, we still have the capacity to address illegal electronic gambling.”
