Stolen Alabama Gaming Machines Found in Different Bingo Hall

Following a raid that involved Alabama authorities impounding bingo machines from an illegal gambling property in Selma, the machines vanished and were recently found at another bingo hall. They were impounded in August 2024. 

Additional Details

The Alabama Attorney’s General Office has brought charges against five men allegedly responsible for stealing the machines. The machines were found in Jay’s Charity Bingo in Lipscomb, about 80 miles north of Selma. 

The stolen terminals disappeared from Selma Charity Bingo's backroom after a raid in August. The location was shut down after a temporary restraining order was issued. The machines stayed on site while authorities waited for a seizure order. 

Charles Allen Robinson, 52, Charles Vanderford Jr., 61, Eric Daniel Hurt, 39, Michael Ray, 56, and William Patrick Humphries are charged with third-degree burglary. 

Attorney General Comments

Attorney General Steve Marshall said authorities knew they had found the stolen machines in Lipscomb because they still had the evidence stickers on them. 

“The brazen nature of stealing something with an evidence sticker on it just shows you how far some of these people will go,” Marshall marveled.

Marshall said they received a report regarding the stolen machines from Dallas County’s Sheriff’s Department, which covers the Selma area. However, it’s unclear how they tracked them to Jays Charity Bingo. 

Right now, the locations in Lipscomb and Selma aren’t believed to be connected. The thieves are suspected to have known the machines were on site due to reports in the news. 

"The vehicle in which we shut these businesses down was through a civil order enjoining the business from operating while we prove through litigation that those, in fact are gambling machines,” Marshall said. “In essence, it’s not the historic go in and raid and seize the machines and carry them off,” he finished.

Legal Issues in AL Over Bingo Machines

Before Oct. 2022, there were legal issues surrounding bingo machines. The operators in the state claimed they fit within the guidelines of the state’s laws. 

However, in October 2022, the state Supreme Court ruled that only traditional bingo games were allowed. Marshall has gone on record saying the machines are “a menace to public health, morals, safety, and welfare.” After the ban, Marshall began enforcing it. 

The same day the location in Selma was shut down, four other outlets also received temporary restraining orders. 

There have been several thefts/crimes involving casinos and gambling lately, including a $350k theft in South Dakota around the same time the initial restraining order was levied in Alabama.