Gaming bills that had passed in the House both fell short by one vote in the Alabama Senate on the session’s final day, leaving those in the Yellowhammer State without even a state lottery.
Wait Until Next Year
The prospect of an expansive gaming package in Alabama passing both chambers seemed good when the session began. However, the all-encompassing gambling legislation that was approved in the House was turned to shreds in the Senate with much more narrow parameters.
It was then that both bills, House Bill 151 (HB 151) and House Bill 152 (HB 152), were sent to a conference committee where a compromise package that pleased few but was amenable to most emerged. The House voted 72 to 29 to pass HB 151 and 70-29 to approve HB 152.
After the House voted, Representative Russell Blackshear, the sponsor of both gaming bills, said, “I want to publicly thank this body … It’s amazing when you work together as a team, when things don’t have Rs or Ds by their names.”
The bills then advanced to the Senate but there was a snag that proved to be an immovable object. Senator Greg Albritton, one of the Senate’s leading champions for gaming in Alabama, could not allow himself to vote for a diluted bill that he felt was not in the best interests of his constituency. Albritton’s dissension assured that the bills would get only 20, and not the required 21, votes in the Senate.
The compromise gaming legislation that was recently nixed by Albritton included the following:
- Alabama Education Lottery
- Electronic games of chance at seven locations to be taxed between 20-28%
- A licensing structure for electronic gaming facilities
- Repeal of local bingo Constitutional Amendments effective September 30, 2026
- Bans future local gambling Constitutional Amendments
- Compact with PCI
- Establishment of the Gambling Commission with an enforcement division
- Upgraded punishment for gambling violations
- Establishment of the Alabama Lottery Corporation
Is Gambling in the Cards for Alabama?
Senator Albritton was adamant that the Poach Creek Indians (PCI) play a major role in gaming and was also displeased that sports betting was omitted from the final version.
“This is a bill that is not conducive to my constituencies in my district,” said Albritton. “This bill put restrictions and restraints on PCI so that their participation in the industry would be extremely limited with high competition. It didn’t provide any avenue for any particular growth or even sustainability. That was the primary reason.”
Albritton also noted the watered-down version of the legislation, saying, “We are doing this a half measure. That was also a problem.”
Those are only a few of the obstacles that will have to be overcome when the topic of gaming arises in the next session. It should be noted that the last time the Alabama electorate had an opportunity to vote on gambling was in 1999 when they voted down a state lottery.
A Good Outlook
However, much has changed in the last quarter of a century, particularly the public’s perception of gambling. Alabama is now just one of five states without a lottery and the enormous revenue it generates will be the conduit that will ultimately bring in other forms of gaming like online sports betting.
Therefore, the question is not if but when some manifestation of gambling will become Alabama’s next untapped revenue stream. The politics behind how large of a role the Poach Creek Indians will have is also a bone of contention for many. But if there is a silver lining to this latest setback, it at least illustrated that legislators are closer than ever to bringing more than just a lottery to the people of Alabama.
