So now we know

An Alabama circuit judge ruled Tuesday that sweepstakes machines like the ones at the Birmingham dog track aren't gambling after all because they aren't games of chance and people are free to get an entry without paying.

That means the operation, which the judge called "a sham," is officially legal, unless the state Supreme Court decides otherwise, or unless the Legislature opts to outlaw them. For his part, state House Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton, D-Birmingham, said the latter action probably won't happen this year.