Lottery in limbo and drama in Montgomery. The lotto bill stalled after supporters lacked enough votes to get the bill up for debate in the house.

No word on when the bill will come back up, but it's stalled because a procedural vote narrowly failed.

As the lottery continues to stall in the house, Alabamians continue to cross state lines for lottery tickets.

"We have a nursing home from Alabama, I don't know which part, but they come in about once a month and the elderly people get off and come in and get their lottery tickets," says Abby Myers, a front desk attendant at Newborn Truck Stop in Tallapoosa, GA.

The Newborn Truck Stop is no stranger to Alabamian lottery ticket buyers.

"I sell more tickets to people in Alabama than I do to people in Georgia," says Myers.

Jimmy Hibbs is one of those people. He has a message for legislators voting no.

"I buy a lot of people lottery tickets when I go out, so they're missing out on a lot of money. It's a great opportunity their just letting go," says Hibbs.

Some legislators like Representative Rich Wingo fully disagree with the lottery.

"You're benefiting from the loss, the financial loss of your people. That makes no sense whatsoever. It's a terrible model.... I can't find the good. I've never met a wife or a child that says 'I just love when my husband gambles.' I've never seen a family benefit from gambling. Maybe I'm naive," says Wingo.

Georgia resident, Robby Rivers, says Alabamians should be able to enjoy the lottery and the benefits of it, especially when it comes to scholarships for a child's education.

"It's gambling, but it's legalized gambling, and I enjoy it, and it's fun," says Rivers.

House Budget Chairman, and supporter of the bill, Representative Steve Clouse says he knows what at least one problem is.

"We all know that the general fund is where the issue is as far as money. I realize that the general public thinks more of it needs to go to education and the general fund is just some type of black hole," says Clouse.

The house version of the bill is different from the version the senate passed because it sends some of the revenue to education.

If the bill keeps the changes from the senate version, it would then need to go back to the senate.

If the senate disagrees with changes a committee would try to reach a compromise.

https://mynbc15.com/news/local/lottery-in-limbo-lotto-bill-stalled-in-house-without-enough-votes-to-debate