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Summary
- A new compact would be created with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians
- The 2021 effort failed to move out of the House of Representatives
- Senator Albritton plans to find a path to get the votes to pass the amendment.
After failing to push gambling legislation through this year, one lawmaker in Alabama has his sights on 2022.
Senator Greg Albritton has announced a proposal to introduce an amendment to the constitution to change gambling legislation.
A new compact would be signed with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians as well as the state lottery. The goal will be to see the proposal reach the November ballot, but primaries in the spring may cause issues with getting full support from some lawmakers.
Pushing for a Positive Outcome
According to Albritton, the gambling expansion for Alabama is something that needs to be done. Waiting another year is not going to help, as revenues are simply being thrown away. An attempt was made to bring more casinos to Alabama this year, along with a lottery and sports betting. The constitutional amendment made it to through the Senate but failed to gain any ground in the House of Representatives.
Albritton is hopeful that he will be able to find the support needed to see the bill make it to the public voting stage. It has been many years since the people of Alabama have had the opportunity to make such a decision.
Give the Power to the People
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians want to see the public have a say in if casinos and other gambling options can be added. Vice chairman of the Tribal Council, Robbie McGhee, commented that placing the proposal on the ballot is the perfect opportunity to give the power to the people of the state to make the decision.
In the past, lawmakers have been so heavily against gambling legislation that minimal progress has been made. There are conservative lawmakers that are strongly against gambling and then the potential shareholders cannot seem to agree as to who should be involved. It seems the Poarch Creek tribe want a monopoly while electronic bingo operators and dog tracks also want to be involved.
This year, the measure in the Senate would have allowed casinos to be operated by the tribe as well as licensing potential for dog tracks and bingo operators. It is unclear if this latest effort will include gambling for all or if it would be limited to the tribe.
For Albritton, he just wants to see the option come to fruition. He plans to provide some of the gambling revenues to mental health care facilities located throughout the state.
