EUTAW, Ala. (WIAT) — The owner of Greenetrack casino has decided to close down the business Wednesday but did not provide any other details as to why he made the decision.
Eutaw mayor Latasha Johnson says she is disappointed and frustrated about the news. She says the casino provides critical funds to police, the hospital and local county schools. The city receives $4,000 a month from bingo charity funds.
“We rely on the monthly funding and so do the schools and hospitals and nursing home and the county municipalities,” Johnson said. “It’s been a great help to us the money that we receive from Greenetrack and other bingo facilities.”
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall says the casino owes the state more than $76 million dollars in unpaid taxes. Seven months ago, Greenetrack owner Luther Winn said he would fight to keep the business open, getting rid of electronic bingo because of the court’s ruling. The casino switched over the operation to historical video horse racing machines instead.
Mayor Johnson says 75 workers at the casino will lose jobs.
“We are very concerned and as the mayor of the city, I think it’s only fair that we should have known that it was going to close,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what the plans are for Greenetrack but we do deserve to know something.”
Luther Winn told CBS 42 he would give us an interview at Greenetrack but he never showed up. We tried several times to reach out to him but Winn did not return our calls.