A developer chose Etowah County for a $200 million bingo complex near the St. Clair County line. After several years of failing to get bingo legislation, bingo operators will try again in the 2010 regular session. Some legislators want to create a statewide gambling commission, regulate bingo and tax it. It would take a constitutional amendment to change bingo from its current form under local amendments. “I’m looking at that gaming commission bill again,” said state Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden. “We have gambling in Alabama, but we can’t administer it and can’t tax it. What better time to put a commission together and tax what we have in Alabama?” Spokespeople for Country Crossing and CBS Supply, the developer of proposed Etowah County bingo, support the concept of bingo legislation. “What happened the other night definitely got us moving on legislation,” said Doug Rainer, a spokesman for Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley Properties. “Our legislation is to tax, regulate and limit electronic bingo in the state.
It would be an amendment and a statewide vote.” Gadsden attorney and CBS Supply spokeswoman Christie Knowles said specifics of legislation are being worked out. “Our goals are to be included in any legislation and that any legislation be equitable and fair,” she said.

Both Rainer and Knowles said they prefer authorizing bingo casinos that require minimum but significant investments. Similar proposals for minimum investments have been made in the Legislature. The state’s political parties are taking sides. State Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham said Riley circumvented his constitutional authority in ordering the Houston County raid. “His actions are absolutely bizarre,” Turnham said. Republicans seized on Turnham’s choice of words. “If the Alabama Democrat Party sincerely believes it is bizarre for law enforcement to enforce laws, then their principles are in worse shape than I thought,” said Republican Party Chairman Mike Hubbard, a state legislator from Auburn. Legislators say they will try to protect bingo in their districts.

State Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Gallion, whose district includes the Greenetrack bingo hall in Greene County, said bingo is a significant employer in his poverty-stricken district. “It’s an economic engine for us,” he said. “The issue is, if we’re going to have gambling in Alabama, I think it’s up to the Legislature to allow people to vote on that issue.” Bingo has caught the attention of two announced gubernatorial candidates, Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks and Republican Bill Johnson. “The issue really is whether we should regulate and tax the gaming that’s already here,” Johnson said. “Regulated and taxed gaming will create jobs, and jobs will create economic prosperity in our state,” Sparks said.

Although governors cannot veto constitutional amendments, Riley would use whatever influence he has to get House and Senate opponents of bingo to block bingo amendment votes. “The governor is morally opposed to gambling, a lot of people are, but that’s not what we’re talking about here,” Riley press secretary Todd Stacy said. “(Bingo is) terrible public policy because it exacts social and economic damage where it exists.”

Etowah County is one of 16 counties in Alabama that has approved charitable bingo. Voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing bingo in 1989.The Etowah County Commission was given authority to regulate bingo in the constitutional amendment. Several local charities have played bingo here using paper cards since 1990. In 2008 the county commission - concerned about the number of electronic bingo halls in other counties across the state established standards for a charitable bingo development here and later approved an agreement for the development with CBS Supply. The commission has also established standards for electronic bingo machines. A legal battle is under way to determine the legality of electronic bingo here and the future
of the proposed development.