Alabama bill to raise illegal gambling penalties pre-filed for 2025 legislative session
This would increase the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Key Points
- Charges for offenses would be more severe
- Fines would increase for those caught operating illegal gambling
A recent bill in Alabama that would increase penalties for illegal gambling operations has been pre-filed for the state’s 2025 legislative session, according to a WIAT local news report.
Alabama Representative Matthew Hammett proposed the new bill and explained its purpose to local news by saying, “We’re not going after these people that’s operating under a constitutional amendment, like dog or horse tracks.
“That’s not the purpose of this bill. It’s strictly for these illegal operations outside of the CA’s.”
Should the bill pass, the charge for operating illegal gambling could be changed from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony.
This would apply to those charged with “possession of electronic gambling machines and other offenses.”
In addition to the higher charge, violators could face an increase in fines that would more than double what the penalty in Alabama is now.
Good to know: Currently, Alabama offers no legal gambling
Fines could increase from up to $6,000 to up to $15,000 under the terms of the proposed bill. A second offense could bring with it a Class B felony and prison time ranging from two to 20 years, along with a $30,000 fine.
Hammett told local news that he believes the current penalties in place are not enough to deter illegal operations but only lead to repeat offenses.
However, the topic of welcoming legal gambling statewide is not off the table.
State legislation recently ended its latest session without voting on expanded gambling. The Senate was to consider a bill that would legalize a state lottery, slot machines and video poker.
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