Luck ran out for the operators of at least two bingo halls in Jefferson County on Wednesday when the Alabama Attorney General's Office raided the locations for not having business licenses.
Over 200 machines were seized near Pinson and in Lipscomb.
The Jefferson County Commission is no longer renewing business licenses for electronic bingo halls, which means that more operations will likely close as their licenses expire.
Lipscomb has seen its share of bingo investigations. The AG's office previously froze the city's assets after alleging the city was allowing illegal gambling operations.
Investigators stated that the city profited from illegal bingo operations and maintained a "bingo fund."
The city agreed to comply with state laws following the investigation.
Bingo halls in East Jefferson County have also been the target of some AG raids. In 2023, AG Steve Marshall said the locations off Pinson Valley Parkway were "ground zero" for serious crimes such as money laundering and drug trafficking.
Sheriff Mark Pettway, who once said he didn't have time to focus on illegal gambling operations, said after the raids he was thankful the Jefferson County Commission would no longer renew business licenses for electronic bingo halls.
RELATED: Federal, state authorities raid Jefferson County bingo halls
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