Lowndes County, Alabama’s White Hall Entertainment has been closed, as the state’s Attorney General has won a temporary restraining order against the illegal casino. Over 600 illegal slot machines were found within the venue.
Gambling devices are banned in Alabama, though the local Poarch Band of Creek Indians operates three legal Tribal casinos. According to local reports, other groups associated with the White Hall Entertainment facility included Cornerstone Community Outreach, Winter Sky, White Sands Technology, BB23 and R&J Holding Company.
Attorney General Steve Marshall filed the order against all companies related to the illegal gambling activity. A statement released from his office read, “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.”
A search warrant was obtained and used as part of the investigation into the illegal devices and casino activity. The casino was also shut down in September 2022 by the Supreme Court of Alabama, due to its offering of ‘electronic bingo,’ which was deemed an ‘ongoing nuisance’ in Lowndes County, but White Hall Entertainment re-opened and continued to provide a facility for illegal gaming devices.
Alabama Republican Senate Majority Leader, Steve Livingston, said just last month that a gaming bill is “likely to come in some capacity” in the state’s 2024 legislative session. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter also recently stated that illegal gambling has “gotten out of hand,” and has been a proponent of regulating this activity.
Attorney General Marshall said of the closing of White Hall Entertainment, “Today’s operations reflect the ongoing enforcement of previous orders issued by the Alabama Supreme Court. 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.”
