VictoryLand is a former greyhound track at Shorter in Macon County, at exit 22 on I-85 between Montgomery and Tuskegee. It rates 3.5 from about 4,400 Google reviewers, the lowest score among Alabama's gaming venues, and there is no point pretending otherwise: this is a bare-bones operation compared with the tribal resorts.
It is also the only place in the River Region where the machines are not bingo.
From greyhounds to bingo to horses
The track opened in 1983; Milton McGregor bought it in 1984 and ran it for the rest of his life. Live greyhound racing ended in 2011. By then the money was in electronic bingo, permitted in Macon County by a local constitutional amendment, and VictoryLand's floor had grown into the largest of its kind in the state.
The state disagreed about what the machines were. In February 2013 troopers executed a search warrant and hauled away 1,615 machines. The casino shut, reopened on 14 September 2016 with 502 machines, and fought on until 30 September 2022, when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled 7-0 in State v. Epic Tech that electronic bingo at VictoryLand and two other Black Belt venues was unlawful gambling and ordered the local courts to end it.
VictoryLand did something few operators have managed. In early 2023 it removed every bingo machine, replaced the lot with historical horse racing terminals, and hired around 250 people back within a month of the changeover. The pivot worked because the property never surrendered the pari-mutuel licence it had held since the greyhound years, and state officials took the view that pari-mutuel licence-holders could run HHR. McGregor died in March 2018; his family kept VictoryLand when it sold the Birmingham track in 2025 and says it is now concentrating on Shorter.
What historical horse racing actually is
An HHR terminal looks and plays like a slot: you bet, you press, reels spin. Underneath, your wager goes into a pari-mutuel pool on a real horse race run years ago somewhere in the country, with the identifying details stripped out. The outcome of that race decides your result. Because money is pooled among players rather than staked against the house, it is regulated as a racing bet, not as a slot or a bingo game.
Kentucky built a whole industry on the concept; in Alabama the Birmingham Race Course had it first and VictoryLand followed. Directory listings put the count here at around 500 terminals.
Racing, food and the hotel that closed after nine months
VictoryLand still takes simulcast wagers on thoroughbred and greyhound racing from tracks across the United States, with a published racing calendar. The old grandstand and clubhouse are the setting, which explains the faded feel.
Food is limited. Listings name Willie's Cafe for quick meals and a pair of bars, the Clubhouse upstairs and the West Bar on the main floor, with pizza, popcorn and drinks the staples. Treat anything more ambitious as unverified.
The strangest fact on site is the Oasis Hotel. A 300-room hotel with a steakhouse opened here on 1 November 2009 and closed on 12 August 2010, roughly nine months later, as the machine dispute escalated. It has never reopened. If you need a bed, Montgomery is 20 minutes west.
Tips before you go
The minimum age is 21, and the venue requires state-issued ID for entry and for all promotional drawings. It is open 24 hours.
The address is 8680 County Road 40, Shorter, immediately off I-85 exit 22. The phone number is (334) 727-0540. Weeknights are quiet; weekends and drawing days are when the room fills.
Nearby alternatives
Wind Creek Montgomery is 16 miles west along I-85, with a hotel, a blues club and around 2,200 electronic bingo machines. Wind Creek Wetumpka, 30 miles north-west, is the state's largest floor and best hotel. The Birmingham Race Course, the other HHR venue, is about 100 miles north. Wind Creek Atmore is nearly three hours south.
Everything in the state is listed at all Alabama in-person venues.
FAQ
Does VictoryLand still have electronic bingo?
No. Every bingo machine was removed in early 2023 following the Alabama Supreme Court's September 2022 ruling. The floor is now historical horse racing terminals.
What is the minimum age at VictoryLand?
21, with state-issued photo ID.
Is there live greyhound racing at VictoryLand?
Not since 2011. Simulcast wagering on greyhound and thoroughbred racing from other tracks continues.
Does VictoryLand have a hotel?
Not an operating one. The 300-room Oasis Hotel opened in November 2009 and closed in August 2010. Montgomery, 20 minutes away, has the nearest accommodation.
How many machines does VictoryLand have?
Directory listings say around 500 historical horse racing terminals. The venue does not publish a current figure.
Rather play from your couch tonight? See our Alabama sweepstakes rankings.
Updated September 2026 · Details verified against the venue's official site, Alabama Supreme Court records and Alabama news coverage. Hours and offerings change — confirm before you go.
