The Alabama Track Owners Association launched a new television ad campaign Wednesday to encourage lawmakers to approve a constitutional amendment allowing voters to decide whether to approve casinos and a lottery. The campaign begins as lawmakers get ready for the 2022 legislative session, which starts Tuesday.
The ad points out that a lottery and casinos could generate $700 million a year and create 12,000 jobs. Those figures are similar to the ones included in a report issued by Governor Kay Ivey’s Study Group on Gambling Policy in December 2020. Legislation proposed last year would have allowed casinos at each of the four greyhound tracks.
The House Republican caucus, which holds three-fourths of the seats in the House, released its priorities on Wednesday and did not include a proposal for a lottery or a lottery and casinos. House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter said the caucus has discussed the idea but there is no consensus, as it takes a three-fifths vote of all members in the House and Senate to approve constitutional amendments.
Lottery bills are proposed yearly in the Legislature but none has passed since voters rejected Governor Don Siegelman’s proposal in 1999.
Gambling legislation was supported by Ivey through last year, saying the state needed uniform regulation of gambling. Some of the leaders were on board. The Senate passed a bill to allow voters to decide whether to allow a lottery, six casinos and sports betting. Four of the casinos would have been at the greyhound tracks in Birmingham, Mobile, Macon County and Greene County. The bill also called for a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who operate electronic bingo casinos in Atmore, Wetumpka and Montgomery and own the greyhound track in Mobile.
The bill would have also set up a regulatory gaming commission.
However, the bill did not pass the House at the end of the session as House Democrats dropped their support due to disagreements on how the money would be used, where the casinos would be located, and language about inclusion of Black-owned businesses.
Senator Greg Albritton is currently working on a bill that he said will be similar to one that passed the Senate in 2021. He said the state needs the legislation to regulate the existing gambling activities in Alabama.
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed has expressed he expects a lottery and casinos proposal to get serious consideration in the senate in 2022. However, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said the same disagreements that have blocked gambling bills in the past remain. He also pointed out that it would be harder to pass a gambling bill during an election year. All 140 legislative seats are on the ballot, the primary being May 24.
Rep. Debbie Wood does not expect the lawmakers to vote on a bill for a lottery this year due to the fact that this is an election year. “I think if we had just a straight lottery bill, there would be more support. A paper lottery, not gaming machines. But the problem is that we already have gaming in our state that we need to regulate. And I don’t think people really understand.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2022/01/06/60839-alabama-race-track-owners-push-for-casinos–lottery-bill-to-enter-2022-agenda
