One of the state’s oldest casino establishments and also Alabama’s second oldest dog track, GreeneTrack casino in Eutaw was rocked this summer. Following a recent tax bill that was higher than monthly revenue, GreeneTrack casino was closed for business for a weekend per a report from the Alabama Political Reporter. In the article, the casino was shaken by an Alabama Supreme Court opinion enforcing a 13-year-old tax assessment claiming the track owed more than $106 million in taxes and fees. Per the report, the opinion also implemented a new measure that would affect all casinos in the state by enforcing a new tax structure for electronic bingo casinos in the state.
In this report, SBS will go over the latest news coming out of the Cotton State along with some other thoughts about Alabama wagering.
According to the update article from the Alabama Political Reporter, the Alabama Department of Revenue is now at a crossroads for what will determine the future of gaming in Green County along with the rest of the state. For instance, if the Department chooses to move forward with the tax collection and tax rules allowed by the Alabama Supreme Court it would essentially force all non-Native American electronic bingo casinos to close. This is of course if it enforced those laws on all electronic bingo casinos to close. However, as the article points out, the Department could determine that the stacked taxes were unfair and choose instead to collect only overall gaming taxes against the casinos.
Also, as the article notes, the ALSC opinion only grants the Revenue Department the authority to collect taxes, it does not instruct the Department to do so. In this scenario, such a decision would allow casinos to remain operational, but it would also cost the state at least $70 million by some estimates. Moreover, this could also impact the state on a more significant level (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars), if the decision was imposed on other electronic bingo casinos.
In the report, it remains to be seen what the next move will be from the Alabama Revenue Department and one that the Department apparently doesn’t plan to answer publicly. Per the report, when asked if the Revenue Department would now determine taxes on electronic bingo casinos without allowing for the traditional sales and use exemption, the communication director for the department said he would have no further comment. However, two sources within the local Green County government told APR that officials from the Revenue Department had already visited casinos in Greene County. There they informed owners that a tax law change was likely coming because of the Supreme Court decision.
According to sources, the decision has devastated GreeneTrack and the surrounding community that depends on the casino for tax dollars and decent jobs. Moreover, it has also businesses around the state wary of potential tax issues in the future since the original text of Alabama’s tax laws is unable to be consistently relied upon.
Once you are done getting all up to speed on the latest gaming news from Alabama, SBS has your back with a ton of other great resources. For instance, one of the best places to check out regarding Cotton State updates is our sports betting in Alabama guide which goes over the latest reports coming out of the state. Additionally, we also have you covered when it comes to finding the best payment options for you with the SBS payment methods rundown page. This handy resource goes over all the ways you can make deposits and withdrawals with SBS. On a final note, if you are a customer that is always on the go then our best mobile betting sites overview is exactly what you need to never miss out on the action.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
Read Chris's ProfileAsk Chris about this guide:
