Alabama Attorney General Attacks New Gambling Task Force Head

The Alabama war of words over gambling and electronic bingo continues to escalate, as the state Attorney General called out the new head of the illegal gambling task force.

Troy King, the Attorney General for the state of Alabama, fired the latest salvo in the state's growing gambling dispute as he released a statement directed at the newly appointed head of the Governor's Task Force on Illegal Gambling. King advised former Mobile District Attorney John Tyson to closely examine gambling laws before continuing the crusade.

Governor Bob Riley has declared that no gambling is legal in the state, and created the task force to raid electronic bingo establishments riding gray areas in county laws. Tyson succeeds David Barber, who resigned after it was revealed he collected thousands in winnings during a gambling trip to a Mississippi tribal casino.

Tyson has sworn to close all gaming venues, but King says the new task force head needs to read the county laws and realize that residents in some areas have approved bingo gambling.

"If Mr. Tyson, as he claims, is having a hard time understanding my interpretation of the law, before he saddles up with heavily armed state troopers, putting them and the public at risk, he should spend some time reading the 17 different constitutional amendments that legalize bingo in 16 counties in Alabama," said King's written release. "That is the law as approved by the voters of this state, and that is not difficult to understand."

Critics of Riley's war on gambling say he is costing the state the chance to save revenue from other states through regulation. Riley has been linked to Choctaw casinos in Mississippi like the one Barber was discovered to have visited, who have a vested interest in avoiding gambling competition in Alabama.

While Riley reportedly received thousands in campaign funds from the tribal casinos, Alabama campaign laws make it impossible to determine how much was donated.