Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Thursday that the Houston Economic Development Association (HEDA) has agreed to end its “illegal gambling operations” at Center Stage.
The agreement stems from a lawsuit filed by Marshall against the casino and the Houston County Commission in October of 2017.
HEDA, a non-profit organization in Houston County, must immediately remove all illegal table games from its facility, remove all illegal electronic games of chance by the end of September and offer only the game of bingo – which is legal under state law.
“It is my duty as Attorney General to enforce Alabama’s laws and to prevent individuals and organizations from offering illegal gambling in our state,” Marshall said in a press release. “As a result of the State’s suit, HEDA has agreed to remove the games in question and has agreed to change its operations to comply with the law.”
The resolution of this Houston County case by Marshall is the second of his efforts to “successfully curb illegal gambling operations.” On October 26, 2017, the Morgan County Circuit Court sided with the state when it ordered River City Entertainment to shutter its doors, enjoining their illegal activity.
Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General John Kachelman of the Criminal Trials Division for his work in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. The attorney general also applauded special agents of his Investigations Division and thanked the Houston County Sheriff’s Office for their tremendous work on this matter.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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