FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
February 19, 2013
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
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AG STRANGE ANNOUNCES SEARCH WARRANT SERVED
AT VICTORYLAND CASINO IN MACON COUNTY
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced that a search
warrant was served today at the VictoryLand casino in Macon County by law
enforcement agents from the Attorney General’s Office and the Alabama Department of
Public Safety. This law enforcement action was taken in response to illegal gambling
operations. The search warrant was served this morning at the VictoryLand casino in
Shorter, AL.
“Today’s actions are the culmination of an investigative process over the last
several months,” said Attorney General Strange. “From my first day in office, I have
worked to ensure that illegal gambling laws are enforced consistently across the state.”
As a result of the Attorney General’s efforts, the country’s largest gambling
machine manufacturers removed their machines from Alabama in 2011, including the
removal of all gambling machines at VictoryLand. The casino, however, opened in
December 2012 with so-called “electronic bingo” machines that state law enforcement
agents determined were illegal.
“My office worked to try to resolve this matter with minimal controversy,” said
Attorney General Strange. “Unfortunately, the VictoryLand casino was operating in
open defiance of the rule of law and we have been left with no alternative but to treat
this as we would any other law enforcement matter.”
The search warrant served today culminated in the seizure of several hundred
gambling machines and an undisclosed amount of cash from VictoryLand. These
machines, along with the seized money, will be held as evidence and will be subject to a
forfeiture procedure in the Circuit Court of Macon County.
“Until the Alabama Legislature acts to create an effective deterrent for large scale
illegal gambling, individuals will continue to engage in illegal gambling activity and
openly defy the law. These individuals stand to make millions of dollars in illegal
gambling profits while risking only a slap-on-the-wrist misdemeanor charge. Law
enforcement will continue to be forced to expend valuable resources to deal with the
growing problem. The Legislature must change that weakness in our law and create a
badly needed deterrent for large scale illegal gambling by increasing the penalty for
operating an illegal slot machine casino to a felony,” said Attorney General Strange.
501 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
