Clock ticking down on Alabama gambling bill
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(WKRG) – A comprehensive gambling bill has a few more legislative days to get through the Alabama Legislature and to voters for their approval this fall. Senate sponsor Gary Albritton, R-Atmore, said the bill is necessary to get control of gambling in Alabama and allow the state to benefit financially from it.
Right now, Alabama is one of five states in the nation without a lottery. A 2020 poll as part of a state study on gambling shows 71% of Alabamians want one. But the reality is, they’ll likely never get to vote on having just a lottery.
“The (reason) is quite simply, special interests,” said Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Daphne. He said there are about 20 locations around the state currently running various gambling facilities, typically limited to electronic games, often to benefit charities, due to 20 or so constitutional amendments that have been passed by voters over the years.
“They have their interests and they have their legislators who do what legislators do and that is look out for their particular communities,” said Elliott. “The problem is when we talk about a lottery, those interests come into play.”
Albritton said he understands why voters want to vote on a stand-alone lottery, but he said it’s more complicated than that.
“We can do that, but it won’t do any good,” said Albritton.
Albritton said that due to constitutional language, passing a lottery alone would allow current unregulated gambling entities to expand their operations. That’s why he’s proposing a comprehensive gambling bill that would include a lottery, sports wagering, and five full-fledged casinos.
Those casinos would be in four locations where one-time dog tracks exist: Mobile, Eutaw, Jefferson, and Shorter. A fifth casino would be built somewhere in northeast Alabama and would be operated by the Poarch Creek Indians. Albritton’s plan calls for the state to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Creeks that would require them to give a certain portion of their profits to the state.
“Right now the state can’t even regulate those (Indians casinos),” said Albritton. “If we enter into a compact then we can begin working with them and get a portion of the revenue that comes in.”
Critics, however, said this bill handpicks winners, like the Poarch Creek Indians and current dog track owners, and that the market should control where and how many casinos exist.
Elliott agrees with that but said he will still likely vote to get the plan to the public.
“It’s an imperfect plan,” said Elliott. “I don’t like it. I’d like to get a clean lottery out. I think that’s what my constituents want, but I also think they want an opportunity to vote on gaming as well, if that’s what they have to do to get to vote on a lottery.”
Albritton has a companion bill that would create a state gaming commission to codify and regulate all gambling in the state. This could be done by the legislature alone, and would not require a constitutional amendment approved by voters.
“Now, I call it the Wild West,” said Albritton. “My goal is to put Alabama in control of this. We have it here. Now we’ve got to find a way we can live with it and control it, and benefit from it.”
The comprehensive gambling bill, as a constitutional amendment, requires a three-fifths vote in both the House and Senate. It would then be placed on the November ballot.
