Riley Taps John Tyson For Antigambling Task Force

Governor Bob Riley has chosen Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson to lead his antigambling task force.

Riley announced Monday that Tyson would replace David Barber, who stepped down as director of the governor's task force after disclosing he had won $2,300 at an Indian casino in Mississippi.

Tyson said he and his wife gambled about $15 or $20 at a Mississippi casino when gambling first became legal in that state. He said that is all he has every gambled anywhere.

Tyson also said he believes electronic bingo games in Alabama are illegal slot machines and only traditional card bingo is allowed in the state.

Tyson's remarks:
As District Attorney, I set out to make sure the District Attorney's office served all the people of Mobile County and share the things that worked with other District Attorneys, other law enforcement, and schools throughout the state.
The foundation of serving all the people was applying the rule of law equally to everyone.
The District Attorney's office prosecuted those who broke the law no matter who they were.
There are many ways to break the law, one of them is to act like you are changing it. Another way is to just say that your actions are justified because you claim they are good for some people.
We will continue to apply the rule of law equally to everyone in Mobile County whoever they are.
This Task Force on Illegal Gambling is about the rule of law.
The rule of law in Alabama could not be clearer. Machines that accept money and dispense prizes based on elements of chance are slot machines under Alabama law. Slot machines are illegal, and calling them electronic bingo does not change that. Changing the decal is not enough to change the law. The people of this State in the Constitution that they established have made it crystal clear that slot machine gambling is absolutely prohibited.

Our Constitution includes some amendments to allow traditional bingo – the kind of bingo that churches and civic clubs have in fellowship halls on a certain night every so often. Casino bosses are perpetrating a massive fraud in suggesting that those amendments allow their slot machines. I wish you would read those amendments. Most of them make clear that a charity can have some limited traditional bingo games operated solely by the charity’s volunteers. These same amendments also make it clear that no one is supposed to profit one penny from any such charitable games, and no one is supposed to be paid to run it.

The slot machine casinos interpretations turn these constitutional amendments on their head. It is as though they think if they say that the sky is green long enough and loud enough, we will all go along with them in saying the sky has stopped being blue. No matter how much they try to convince us to the contrary, we all know those provisions of the Constitution do not authorize their slot machines.

It is interesting. Every time there has been a raid on these casinos by the Task Force, the gambling bosses and their supporters say the Task Force is acting illegally. Yet, every single time the Supreme Court issues a ruling, the highest court in this State confirms that Governor Riley and the Task Force are right about the law and those fighting them are wrong.

I am honored to be joining the Task Force as Commander. Much is at stake for the people of Alabama in this fight. I love Alabama too much to see it repeat the history of Phoenix City. And I will see to it that Alabama’s laws against illegal gambling are enforced – everywhere, in every community, because no one is above the law.

That is the point.
The rule of law regarding gambling in Alabama must be enforced equally with everybody, everywhere.
These are difficult economic times. Every Alabamian feels it. Unemployment is high. People have trouble paying their bills. Many cannot pay their bills. Tax revenue is down and funds for government are scarce.
In my office we are operating on much less than we did last year. Twenty-six people out of ninety-four who were with us last year are no longer with us this year. Good people who do good work gone from service to state.
Difficult times make us all vulnerable to those who would skirt the rule of law.
Promises of new revenues from gambling are even more enticing as government’s power to help citizens is reduced as tax revenues shrink. It becomes easier and easier to ignore the law or bend the law or not apply the law equally to everyone everywhere. It becomes easier to distract people from the consequences of gambling for our society. It becomes easier to bend the rule of law for some temporary advantage that is supposed to make it okay—when that advantage does not change anything.
We cannot let that happen.
We must enforce the rule of law.
The rule of law is the fundamental way we are all equal. The way we are equal is in the eyes of the law. The way the laws of our state work for us is when the rule of law is applied equally to everyone
There is not silver bullet that will fix our economic times. The only answer I know is hard work. Opportunities for everyone in our state have expanded and will expand again as we tap into the huge power of Alabamians.
That people power is unleashed by the rule of law.
The rule of law transcends political affiliation, background, race, religion, everything as it provides clear knowledge that we all will be treated equally before they law – whether we are the landlord or the tenant, whether we are the buyer or the seller whether we are the defendant or the victim.
The governor’s efforts, local efforts with every Chamber of Commerce, and individual efforts are helping people in Alabama and outside Alabama – all through the world--realize that Alabama’s people offer the hard work and creativity needed for successful enterprises.
Within our state people of all backgrounds are realizing they can stay here and succeed here because our laws protect them and their property. Our law protects contracts between people and people and businesses and people – all these contracts work both ways, all sides can know what to expect. The rule of law prevails. So all people can do things. So all people can move forward.
The present and the future of all of us depends on the rule of law -- applied equally to everyone -- in every situation, including gambling.
I accept this appointment and promise Governor Riley and the people of Alabama my best efforts to work with the officials of our state to enforce the rule of law regarding gambling in our state equally, with everyone, everywhere.
I also assure the people of Mobile County and my law enforcement partners and the school teachers, and students and parents of Mobile County that this new responsibility is an application of my focus on the rule of law equally applied for everybody in Mobile County and that the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office is focused on enforcing it equally for all people.
Thank you Governor for the opportunity.