Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Wednesday his office had obtained a temporary restraining order (TRO) against White Hall Entertainment in Lowndes County.
The TRO involves more than 600 allegedly illegal slot machines in the casino and multiple entities associated with the casino location, including Cornerstone Community Outreach, Winter Sky LLC, White Sands Technology LLC, BB23 LLC, and R&J Holding Company, Inc.
Pursuant to the order, the facility has been closed and sealed, all assets of the entities have been frozen, and there can be no further financial transactions connected with the facility or those operating the facility until further orders from the Circuit Court of Lowndes County. The Attorney General's Office also executed a search warrant at the gambling facility as part of its ongoing investigation.
"Today's operations reflect the ongoing enforcement of previous orders issued by the Alabama Supreme Court for Lowndes County," Marshall said. "The individuals, building owners, and operators of these illegal machines acted in defiance of the law, local court orders, and Supreme Court of our state. Rackets such as these will not be tolerated in Lowndes County or elsewhere in Alabama."
This facility was previously shut down after the Supreme Court of Alabama issued an order in September 2022 declaring that the operation of so-called "electronic bingo" was an ongoing nuisance in Lowndes County and should be abated by the circuit court. According to Marshall, White Hall Entertainment chose not to abide by the circuit court's order and instead reopened with illegal gaming machines.
While some casinos no longer offered "electronic bingo" machines, White Hall and Southern Star casinos allowed customers to play machines "similar to slot machines" and required them to "play a game of paper bingo before collecting their winnings," according to the Montgomery Advertiser in March.
The Attorney General's Office led the operation and received assistance and support from White Hall Police Chief Alvetta Coates and the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
