Casino Movement

David Barber, the commander of Gov. Bob Riley’s much-publicized Task Force on Illegal Gambling, resigned this week after winning $2,300 gambling at a Mississippi casino.

In a Wednesday resignation letter to Riley, he concluded that although he won the money playing a legal game in a legal casino in Mississippi, it could become a political distraction to his work on the task force.

“While my actions were in full compliance with the law, I am convinced that the forces that operate illegal casinos in Alabama will focus on my actions as part of their continuing effort to smear you and your task force,” Barber wrote. “The work of the task force is too important to allow it to be impeded by such distractions.”

Casino operators and Democratic lawmakers were quick to criticize both Barber and the task force Friday.

The resignation became public Friday, the same day the task force won a victory before the Alabama Supreme Court. The task force, which has already raided a casino in White Hall, was seeking to raid the bingo pavilion at Country Crossing near Dothan.

The state’s high court dismissed a case filed by the Houston County Commission to prevent the task force from raiding Country Crossing and seizing electronic bingo machines.

Riley and Barber consider the electronic bingo machines to be slot machines that are illegal in Alabama.

The ruling essentially allowed the task force to move forward with its plan to raid and seize the machines.

Ronnie Gilley, developer of Country Crossing, said he was appalled that Barber was trying to shut down casinos in Alabama while gambling in Mississippi. He said the revelation “proves the hypocrisy associated with the top office in the state of Alabama.” Thousands of Alabamians including Barber cross the border every day and spend $35,000 an hour gambling in Mississippi, Gilley said.

Effect on task force

District Attorney Douglas Valeska of Houston County, where Country Crossing is located, responded quickly to Barber’s resignation with a letter to Riley asking him to suspend the task force’s work there.