Alabama Casino Bill Passes Senate Committee

The first piece of precise laws that will carry expanded playing to Alabama unanimously passed through a Senate committee vote, in line with a report from Bhamnow, an area media outlet.

SB 214, sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, would create a poll initiative to permit voters to amend the state structure and permit the creation of a state lottery, legalize sports activities betting and produce 5 casinos to the state.

The invoice unanimously handed by the Senate Tourism Committee by an 11-0 margin. It will head to the Senate for a flooring vote. If it passes the Senate, it would head to the House. Since the invoice would amend the state structure, it wants a 60% approval in each chambers of the legislature with a purpose to get on the poll.

If it achieves the practically two-thirds essential to go, the query will likely be on the poll for voters in November 2022.

Over the final a number of years, there have been a handful of makes an attempt at bringing extra playing to Alabama, together with a sports activities betting invoice that was filed in 2019, however died within the legislature. But efforts ramped up in 2020 as soon as the Poarch Band of Creek Indians started pushing for a gaming compact with the state.

In February 2020, Gov. Kay Ivey mentioned that she wouldn’t enter right into a compact with the tribe till a research on the results of playing was accomplished. That research was accomplished on the finish of final yr which concluded that its legalization would carry $700 million in tax income and one other 19,000 jobs to the state financial system.

Per week in the past, Ivey mentioned that expanded playing would require voter approval. Marsh’s invoice would fulfill Ivey’s requirement.

The invoice outlines the areas of all 5 casinos, 4 of that are already present race tracks. Birmingham Race Course, VictoryLand in Macon County, GreenTrack in Greene County, Mobile Greyhound Park and a fifth location to be named later in both DeKalb or Jackson County.