In a state where legalized gaming has been a topic of much discussion for the past few decades, the latest gambling bill faces new head winds. Per a recent article, hopes for legalized Alabama sports betting in 2024 are on its last legs heading into this month. Earlier this legislative session, the Senate stripped casinos and Alabama sports betting from a comprehensive lottery package, HB 151 and HB 152, despite overwhelming approval by the House. Now, a conference committee could be established as early as next Tuesday to iron out the differences, per Senator Greg Albritton. There are nine legislative days left in the Alabama session before adjourning May 20. Even if the conference committee comes to an agreement, both chambers must secure the 60% threshold required for a constitutional amendment, as well as a public vote.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from the state along with even more notes and info about Alabama wagering.
Per the same report, Albritton led sports betting efforts in previous and even passed out Senate legislation similar to this year’s House version. However, the Senate decided against agreeing with the lower chamber’s effort this session. Earlier this month, the House non-occurred with the legislation after the Senate stripped out sports betting and casinos from the lottery bill. Also noted in the article, as passed by the Senate, the legislation establishes an Alabama lottery, as the state is one of five without a lottery. With the non-concurrence, the House appointed three members for the conference committee. The Senate still needs to agree to the conference and appoint its three members.
Rep. Chris Blackshear critiqued the Senate changes when the House non-concurred. Blackshear noted the long runway to create the legislation, which was partially based on previous Senate attempts as referenced in the same article. “They had it for three weeks, we worked on it for 15 months, and I think there are some details we can provide to them that may help them understand why we sent the package that we did to them,” Blackshear was quoted as saying.
Albritton is confident his chamber will agree to the conference. Beyond that though, he is pessimistic abouts its chances. “We’ll pull it out of the basket, go to a conference, and then we will start working on it,” Albritton told a local news outlet in the state earlier this month. “My concern is that we may have such huge differences between what the House passed and what the Senate passed and then where that middle ground is. We’re going to have to get a 60% vote in both houses again. All of those are uphill battles and it is going to be difficult.”
As noted in this space before and also in the report, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is a long time supporter of sports betting, even creating a study in 2020 for Alabama gambling. Earlier this session, Ivey said she might not sign an amended version of the House-passed legislation. Along with up to 10 casinos and online sports betting, the original bill also included pari-mutuel betting and historical horse racing. Should the legislation receive Ivey’s signature, voters would have their say in the fall. Under the Senate version, however, that would come in September rather than in the November general election.
The Senate and House bills tax gambling between 24% and 32%. Moreover, the Senate version allows for Ivey to enter compact negotiations with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The House, however, might not be open to a tribal casino monopoly, according to the Alabama Political Reporter. The House version of the agreement gave voters an opportunity to legalize a lottery, sports wagering, up to 10 casino locations and authorized the governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Their three current locations would be included in the 10 licenses.
The current agreement, which may or may not be on paper somewhere as noted in another article, would allow for a statewide lottery and would require Gov. Kay Ivey to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Creeks for only their three current locations. Also noted in the same article, it is also unclear if the legislature can force Ivey to negotiate a compact, or dictate terms. Ivey has indicated that she prefers the House version of the legislation and would not be willing to go along with just any other plan.
After you are all dialed in regarding the latest gaming news and notes coming from the Cotton State, SBS has a ton of great information just for you at its website. Of course, for additional info on the topic at hand, the sports betting in Alabama guide is a useful resource to check out for all of the latest news and notes coming from the state. On a separate note, for those on the go, a must-read resource is the best betting apps rundown which goes over a lot of great info. This includes information on mobile betting and making sure you are staying on top of the action while you are on the go. Finally, if you are interested in diversifying your payment options, our payment methods breakdown is a must-read page that covers a ton of great routes from cryptocurrencies to more traditional banking methods.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football in the Mountain West Conference, and basketball. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones.
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