Senator proposes new plan for Alabama lottery, casinos, sports betting
A state lawmaker introduced bills today proposing a lottery and casinos in Alabama, a plan that would require voter approval if it gets through the Legislature.
Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, who chairs the Senate’s General Fund budget committee, said Alabama needs statewide regulation of gambling.
“This is an industry that is running rampant in the state of Alabama,” Albritton said. “The state has no control over any of these activities. Alabama has no benefit from all of these activities, and yet we’re still suffering the consequences. We need to take control.”
Albritton’s plan would direct net revenue from a lottery to a scholarship program. It would put a 20% tax on net gambling revenue at casinos and allocate that money to local governing bodies and the state General Fund
The proposal is similar to one that passed the Senate last year but stalled in the House. It comes with only 12 meeting days remaining in the 30-day legislative session, but Albritton said he thinks it still has time for consideration.
According to a summary Albritton gave at a press conference today, the plan calls for creation of the Alabama Education and Lottery Gambling Commission to supervise the state lottery and issue licenses for casinos.
A single casino license would be awarded at five sites:
- Greenetrack in Greene County.
- Birmingham Race Course in Jefferson County.
- VictoryLand in Macon County.
- Mobile County Greyhound Racing Facility.
- A site to be chosen in DeKalb County or Jackson County that would be operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians under a compact to be negotiated between the governor and the Poarch Band.
In addition, there would be satellite casinos in Houston County and Lowndes County with a limited number of electronic gambling machines.
Passage of a constitutional amendment for gambling requires approval by three-fifths of members of the House and Senate. Some Republican members oppose gambling while others would support a bill for a lottery only, with no casinos.
That makes it hard to pass a plan without some support from Democratic lawmakers. The House Democratic caucus opposed last year’s plan.
Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, D-Hayneville, said today he would be opposed to any plan that forced Lowndes County to reduce the electronic bingo operations there now. He said there are about 1,200 machines at two facilities. Albritton’s plan would limit the county to one satellite casino.
Lawrence said the Democratic caucus has not polled its members on Albritton’s plan but believes the caucus will be opposed to it in its current form.
Albritton said he expects his bills to be considered in a Senate committee on Tuesday.
The Legislature has not approved a lottery bill since 1999, when voters rejected a proposal by Gov. Don Siegelman.