With less than a week left in its legislative session, the topic of legalized gambling remains on the table for Alabama lawmakers.
The State Government has until the end of the session to decide whether voters will have a chance to vote for statewide regulated gambling, according to a local CBS Channel 42 news report.
The House has already passed a proposal that could establish state-regulated gambling. However, a Senate decision is needed to put the matter before Alabama voters.
Senator Garlan Gudger told local news he “feels optimistic” that a vote will take place in the Senate before the session ends.
He went on to briefly discuss the question he said lawmakers are considering by saying, “Where the money is going, right? Everybody wants to know where the money is going.
“Is it going for an education lottery? Is it going for mental health? There are a thousand other places that it could go. Obviously, I am a big mental health proponent. I want a lot of it to go there, which is in the general fund.”
Currently, the state constitution through local amendments allows for electronic bingo but no other forms of gambling.
Two bills are on the table that would add a constitutional amendment to permit statewide gambling, establish tax rates on legal gambling and would outline the details for how casinos in the state would operate, where they would be located and how gambling in these casinos would be regulated.
Should the bills pass, Alabama players would have access to in-person sports betting, as well as to online sports wagering platforms. The law would also set up a state lottery and would authorize up to 10 casino locations with slot machines and table games.
