The latest attempt by Alabama’s lawmakers to authorize slot machines and a state lottery has been dismissed for having less than the required number of votes. It marks another potentially stalled attempt to change Alabama gambling regulations.
The leader of the Senate, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, has stated that the plans by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, to muster enough votes to pass the regulation will come up short. With time running out until the next decisive legislative session, it remains to be seen if the cards will change.
The legalization of gambling and lottery in Alabama has long been a hotly contested issue that has been floated around by lawmakers for over 25 years now. In its last time out last year, the proposal famously fell just one vote short of the 21 votes needed to approve a constitutional amendment that would hopefully pave the way for the proposal’s eventual acceptance.
The legislation aimed to establish a compromise that would allow “electronic games of chance” at seven designated sites, and direct the governor to negotiate with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians
While the proposal fell just short of the mark last time, it has been reintroduced and pursued with renewed vigor this year, this time by Senator Greg Albritton. The Senator has been discreetly lobbying and rallying support for the legislation, only just making his plans public via copies he made available. Despite this concerted campaign to revive the legislation and bring a long-lasting end to this 25-year debacle, the task ahead is still very difficult.
Republican Sen. Greg Albritton has led the charge, albeit discreetly, to finally introduce Alabama to legalized gambling and lottery. It is a move that has been met with strong opposition in the past, so it is no surprise that he kept his plans close to his chest for a long time, only making it public with a few meeting days left.
Yet, his public announcement of the move has been met with an equally vocal dismissal by none other than the Senate president. Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger has been very clear in his dismissal, stating that the bill was just “ a little too late to receive any traction and could only muster very few votes to pass. With his office going further to confirm that the draft fell short of the three‑fifths threshold requirement to pass muster after a test vote, it is all but certain that this bill would not be making any headway.
However, there’s still some hope in the works. There’s the option to revisit the bill before adjournment, an option preserved by the senators following the bill’s removal from immediate consideration. Yet, it is even clearer that the bill faces an uphill battle.
Republican Sen. Greg Albritton’s proposal sought to authorize a state lottery and allow “electronic games of chance”—slot machines and video poker—at six designated sites. These sites include the Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ three casinos and three off‑reservation locations, including the former Jefferson County horse track.
Also included in the bill was a mandatory requirement that the governor negotiate with the Creek tribe to allow tribal lands to host casino games
By his projection, the plan could rake in anything from $598 million and $928 million in annual revenue. It would not only make legalized gambling available at long last in Alabama and take the state’s sportsbooks online, but it would also help shore up the state’s coffers. As expected, Albritton’s bill has received interest from tribal leaders keen on protecting their interests, as well as industry concerns about the location of the casinos.
As the legislative session winds down, the task ahead is a choice between making one last late‑session push or deferring the fight to 2025 at its earliest. With the ghosts of last year’s near-miss still lurking around the scene, it remains to be seen if Alabama’s senators can finally achieve their goal.
They’ll need more votes to push through and will also need to revisit issues of tribal inclusivity, revenue-sharing, and license allocation, all under limited time. Yet, there’s optimism that – despite the mounting opposition and the dire odds – they can get it over the line this time.
