As one of only six states without any form of casino gambling, sports betting or lottery, Alabama was not projected to shed its ultra-conservative image and embrace sports betting during this session. However, an overwhelming vote of confidence by the Alabama House on a comprehensive gambling bill will now advance to the Senate.
Exploring the realm of possible legalization, let’s examine the future prospects for top-rated sportsbooks following the approval from the House.
House Says Aye
HB-151 and HB-152 are the latest gambling bills to wind their way to the Alabama House.
This time the legislators voted 70-32 and 67-31 (plus one abstention), respectively, in favor of both. HB-151 proposes to amend the constitution for gambling while HB-152 is replete with the language of what forms of gambling will be allowed.
This paves the way for the Senate to have its say on both bills and it should be noted that this legislation does not just include sports betting but also lottery and casino gambling. Should this pass in the Senate then voters would ultimately decide whether they want gambling in the Heart of Dixie or if the status quo is okay by them.
Rep. Andy Whitt said: “We believe that people deserve the right to vote on this issue.”
The bills must pass both chambers by a two-thirds majority, which they received in the House with 63 being the magic number. Now, the Senate will get an opportunity to determine if this is a matter to be decided by the voters in November.
Governor Kay Ivey voiced her support for gambling legislation in her State of the State address at the Capitol on February 6th, and at the time of her speech, she was aware of the gambling legislation before the House.
Governor Ivey stated, “I believe the current proposal being contemplated by the Legislature is good for Alabama, and I will be carefully watching it move through the process. It will crack down on illegal gambling, and it will responsibly regulate limited forms of legal gaming, including a statewide lottery. Thank you to House Speaker (Nathaniel Ledbetter) and his leadership team for their hard work on this.”
Gambling Brings Big Bucks
Illegal gambling is already happening in Alabama according to Rep. Andy Whitt who said, “What I’ve seen across the state as I’ve toured your districts is an absolute disaster and it should make every legislator in here feel ashamed that this is allowed in the state of Alabama and it’s currently going on today in, I guarantee, all 67 counties. It’s time that we run the bad actors out of the state of Alabama for good.”
The legislation would also include a newly formed Gaming Enforcement Division to make sure everything is on the up and up, as well as implementing a crackdown on the bad actors who skirt or openly violate the law.
Eight new gaming crimes, all felonies, would be established and a substantial increase in fines and penalties would be attached to each transgression.
It is estimated that the expansion of gambling in the state would bring as much as $800 million per year to Alabama’s tax coffers. The bill addresses the following:
- Proposals for a state lottery
- Seven new casinos
- Sports betting
- A statewide gambling regulatory commission
Another familiar refrain that has been uttered by legions of politicians in states trying to legislate sports betting is the notion of its citizens crossing state lines to bet with their neighbors and putting money in those pockets instead of their own state’s coffers.
“We have so many of our constituents that travel to the state line, outside the state, for lottery tickets, to go gaming,” Rep. Rolanda Hollis said. “And when they do this, it puts so much money into the other states. We’re putting kids through other states through schools, we’re doing their infrastructure.”
Digital Wager Wire will continue to monitor this story and update our readers as events unfold.
