At least four bingo halls in Jefferson County were raided Tuesday.
Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office executed search warrants on the four gambling facilities. State agents from the AG’s office, with support from the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, arrested at least 11 people, AL.com reported
The raids Tuesday come as local law enforcement has refused to get involved in stopping or investigating the bingo operations. Raids happened at Spin it and Win It in Graysville, Super Highway Bingo in Brighton, Fun-N-Games Arcade in Brighton and Southwind Bingo in Midfield.
The AG’s office said “involvement of state law enforcement was necessary due to the opening of multiple facilities offering illegal electronic games and the failure of local law enforcement to enforce the law.”
Marshall and Lynneice Washington, the district attorney for the Bessemer division of Jefferson County, attempted to curb these illegal establishments from opening or operating.
Cease and desist letters were issued to the facilities, as well as the municipalities that permitted them to open.
The search warrants served today culminated in the seizure of over 1,100 electronic bingo machines, records and an unspecified amount of money from the bingo halls.
These machines will be held as evidence and will be subject to a forfeiture procedure filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
The AG’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
