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Conservative group asks for crackdown on gambling

By Jeanie Powell - bio | email

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - Wednesday evening, owners of the White Hall Bingo facility in Lowndes County voluntarily closed their doors indefinitely.

Governor Bob Riley's task force raided the facility back in March.

Agents took about 200 gambling machines.

Last week, the state supreme court ruled those bingo machines were illegal.

The owners said they are closing because they don't want to risk another raid.

This action comes as the Alabama State Baptist Convention joins the governor's fight against gambling.

Members feel gambling hurts the people of our state tremendously.

They're asking legislators to stand strong next session by opposing any gambling bills that may make it to the table.

Madison County has been quiet from the standpoint of gaming devices since the sheriff's office shut them all down.

Sheriff Blake Dorning said of gaming operators, "Well, they haven't come back to Madison County."

And if any operators are brave enough?

Dorning said, "It's illegal.  It's against the law and we'll take appropriate action."

But the war rages on across the state.

The Alabama Baptist State Convention just wrapped up in Huntsville and the Alabama Citizens Action Program or ALCAP, an auxiliary of the group, is praising Governor Riley for trying to end illegal gambling.

Nearly 3,200 churches were represented at this year's convention and this resolution was passed on Tuesday.

Godfrey said, "They need to go down and stand strong and oppose any of the gambling bills that may come up."

ALCAP member Dr. Dan Ireland explained, "We have always stood strong on moral issues."

Dr. Jimmy Jackson, president of the convention and a local pastor for 31 years, feels gambling, if legalized, would only benefit the minority and suck the money out of Alabama.

"Gambling is one of those things that tears down character. It tends to make a person want to seek a path of least resistance, if I can get something by putting a dollar in this or a coin in this, I'm going to have some fantasy, that I'm going with the lottery, I'm going to win this money, when our whole nation has been built on the dignity on work," he said.

Dr. Jackson feels energy shouldn't be used on fantasizing and wishing one would win a payout, but that energy should be channeled creatively through education, doing work, and building, instead of destroying a family.

"They say they want an education for the children, they want all these good things, but bottom line is, these people if you could trace it back, are padding their own pocket books.  They're making money out of it and they really don't care who pays the price, we will pay the price here in Alabama for the money sucked out of here and even the people who get it, will be just a minority and the rest of the people will suffer because of it," said Dr. Jackson.

ALCAP said more work needs to be done to fight gambling and is encouraging citizens to speak out.

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