Center Stage Casino has ultimately reached a long-anticipated agreement with the local authorities which would see it put an end to the operation of gambling machines which are considered illegal according to the law. The Houston County casino facility has been in a legal dispute ever since last fall and this Thursday finally witnessed the arrangement which would bring operation at the casino venue back to its legal state.
Maintaining a legal manner of operation at a given casino facility is of utmost importance for both the casino developers and the authorities overseeing the field. Such has been the case in the state of Alabama where one gambling facility in Houston County has been operating electronic and table casino games which are considered illegal according to the state regulations’ language.
The latter were presented as a type of bingo, which was proved to be false. In order to prevent a full-fledged legal battle, the casino venue of Center Stage would now have to cease operation of some of its gaming devices.
Recent Development of the Lawsuit
As arranged between casino operator Houston Economic Development Association, overseeing the venue and the state, all table games and electronic games of chance would have to cease operation in their current form, rendering it with its legal bingo offerings solely. The devices would be reset in order to provide gaming patrons with video games of skill which align with the framework established in the state.
This turn of events comes as the state has legally challenged the casino developer and operator on account of the gaming machines available on site which seem to resemble slot devices. It should be taken into account, that the casino venue is supposed to only have on offer paper bingo activities, which are among the preferred gambling pastimes for many, as well as other games to the liking of simulcast betting on races. VictoryLand and Wind Creek Wetumpka Casino and Hotel are two of the largest and most popular casino venues in the region.
In previous instances when the said slot machines have become the apple of discord, casino operators have argued that in fact those machines are offering rapid-fire electronic bingo and their appearance only makes them look like the slot machines in Las Vegas and Macau.
Raids have been conducted across the state, such as the one in VictoryLand back in 2013, that has led to the claiming of 1,615 electronic bingo machines and a total of $260,000 in cash. Casinos across the state are primarily dedicating their venues to bingo offerings, as this is the legal opportunity.
State Laws Crippling the Field Could Change
Native American tribes which operate tribal casinos throughout the state are obliged to abide by the rules as well and provide their casino patrons solely with Class 2 slot machines as well as bingo games. Casino table games are strictly prohibited and due to their appeal and the wide array of gaming opportunities they have up for grabs, many locals opt for traveling to neighboring Mississippi and utilizing its gambling venues and offerings.
In order to maintain the reputation of reliability throughout the casino field authorities in the state of Alabama have been trying to put an end to electronic bingo gaming operations within the borders of the state. Last October witnessed the filing of a couple of lawsuits across five counties by Attorney General Steve Marshall against the casino venue overseen by Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
However, there have been signs that the community is warming up to the idea of gambling expansion which could introduce a wider variety of offerings. Voters from the state have given their approval to candidates who have state lottery establishment in mind and could potentially trigger the launch of such gaming operation in the upcoming years.
