The Alabama Senate wants to give voters the opportunity to support a comprehensive gambling expansion. The state senate approved a vote on Tuesday to introduce a 2022 gambling constitutional amendment to the voting card in November. Additional suggestions concern how to implement the new rules. Now the measures are headed for the House. While the transition is not guaranteed, it is a big step towards the long-discussed expansion of gambling in Alabama.
The development of gambling in Alabama differs from the April bills
On April 19, the Senate approved a slightly different bill to expand gambling in Alabama. Now, after the revision process, new proposals are updated in the hope of ensuring a transition.
As in the original law, Alabama voters could support the construction of up to nine full-service land-based casinos. The locations of the proposed casinos are:
- Birmingham
- Mobile
- Macon County
- Greene County
- Houston County
- DeKalb County or Jackson County
Additionally, Poarch Band of Indians is authorized to build casinos in its bingo lounges in:
- Montgomery
- Atmore
- Wetumpka
With the exception of the new casino in DeKalb or Jackson County, all facilities are an extension of the current gambling infrastructure.
Alabama Sportsbooks are part of the accounts
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has been vocal in advocating a major overhaul of Alabama gambling laws. It commissioned a research group that found Yellowhammer state was losing up to 700 million in revenue of $.
First, one of Alabama's three expanding gambling accounts forms the Gaming Commission. If voters approved the constitutional amendment, a new commission would oversee enlargement. His duties include setting up bookmakers.
The accounts provide for the sale of retail bookmakers at new full-service casinos. Additionally, online and mobile betting licenses are part of the extension. It is unclear if Alabamans can make regulated bets on college sports in the state. Earlier attempts to expand gambling in Alabama have been caught by roadblocks on bookmakers.
Gambling in Alabama The expansion includes a state lottery game
If successful, Alabama becomes the 64th state offering its citizens a state lottery. In addition to full-service casinos and online bookmakers, Alabama players can play lotteries with multi-state jackpots. To get additional support, the bills change the tax structure and the breakdown of gambling income.
Casino operators and bookmakers are required to pay the tax rate 23% on the net income as part of the plan. All the money would go to educational priorities. The distribution of income is regulated by one of three accounts and divides:
- Half of the tax revenue for the university's scholarship program.
- The other half go to the state education trust fund.
- Seventy percent is dedicated to K - 16 education.
- The rest is to support higher education.
Finally, measures urge Governor Ivey to start negotiations towards a federally approved deal with the Poarch Tribe. In order to fully influence the development of gambling in Alabama, a new system is required to regulate the new tribal casinos.
Now that the trio of bills have been cleared by the Senate, Alabama is closer than ever to its long-awaited gambling reform. Neighboring Georgia failed to win regulated bookmakers this year. But with the governor's backing, voters may soon have a chance to make a final decision about the future of gambling in Alabama.
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