Alabama lawmakers could vote on lottery, casino, and sports betting legislation as early as this Thursday after the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved three bills on Tuesday.
The main bill, SB319, will see a constitutional amendment put on the public voting ballot in the November 2022 election while the other two bills are relating to the establishment and regulation of a lottery, six casinos, and sports betting within the state.
Speaking before the House Committee Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Phenix City, who is handling the bill in the House, said there are “three facts” about gambling in Alabama:
“One is gambling exists in the state of Alabama today. That’s a fact.
Two, it’s mostly unregulated, especially unregulated at state level.
Three, the state sees no revenue from the gambling in the state.”
The original legislation would impose a 20% tax on all net revenue from casinos and sports betting. This could then be raised by 2% every five years up to a maximum of 30%. However, this was amended to a flat 23% before the Committee approved the bills.
The governor’s office estimates that the lottery, casino, and sports betting industries could be worth $500 million to $700 million per year to the state. The bills state that while the majority of this revenue would be earmarked for healthcare and infrastructure, there is a flexibility within funding categories as the state’s needs would change over time.
Image credit: Brian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.