Bingo Investigations To Be Directed To Local Municipalities

BIRMINGHAM, AL - On the heels of a rash of reports involving electronic bingo operations in the county, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has put local municipalities on notice to enforce the laws against these operations.

"In recent weeks, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has received several inquiries regarding the operation of bingo parlors in local municipalities," said David Agee of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. "State law makes promoting gambling or possessing gambling devices a misdemeanor offense. The Sheriff’s Office respects local law enforcement and will defer to municipal agencies for the enforcement of the law within their jurisdictions."

Agee said Sheriff Mark Pettway "remains committed to safe communities and using the resources of the Jefferson County Sheriff Office to combat violent crime and illegal drug traffic while also increasing the presence of law enforcement in all neighborhoods."

In 2016, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled bingo machines violated the Alabama Constitution of 1901 which bans gambling, defined in the Constitution as "any game for financial gain with an element of chance."