Alabama Gambling Legislation Passes SenateMost Serious Discussions In Nearly Two Decades |
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A proposal for a lottery for Alabama, one of the last few states in the country without that form of gambling, moved forward late last week as there were enough votes in the Senate to advance the legislation to the House.
If successful there, state voters would get to have the final say in a November referendum.
According to a report from AL.com, earlier in the week it was looking like the vote would go against the proposal, but on Friday lawmakers approved a simpler version of it by a 21-12 margin. Lawmakers were also considering whether to allow VLTs (slot machine-like games) at four state dog tracks, but that idea fell by the wayside in an earlier version of the bill. The governor is behind the lottery plan, though the same state lawmaker was sponsoring the entire package.
The two plans were touted as being able to generate $225 million and $400 million for the state, respectively. This year’s discussions about gambling reportedly were the most serious the talks have been in nearly 20 years. The only other states without a lottery are Mississippi, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada. Mississippi and Nevada do have robust casino industries.
Americans spend more than $70 billion on the lottery each year, making it the most popular form of gambling in the nation. More than half of the adults in the U.S. play the lottery.
In April, Alabama joined the ranks of states declaring DFS illegal. According to Alabama law, an activity constitutes illegal gambling if a person stakes something of value on a contest, regardless of how much skill predominates, in order to win a prize.
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