House approves gambling bill

The Alabama House of Representatives voted 70-32 last Thursday to approve a proposed change to the constitution to allow lottery, casino and sports betting gambling in the state with the two members of the Escambia County House delegation splitting their vote with State Rep. Alan Baker voting yes and State Rep. Matthew Hammett voting no.

The House bill is now in a Senate committee. Should the bill pass, it will be placed on the November General Election ballot to allow the voters in Alabama to decide.

Rep. Baker of Brewton represents District 66, which includes the western portion of Escambia County and Rep. Hammett of Andalusia represents the eastern portion of the county.

Rep. Baker said over the years he has had three concerns about legalizing gambling and felt by supporting the legislation it would put up guardrails to curb illegal gambling, stop the flow of gambling dollars going to surrounding states and will allow the voters of Alabama to have the final say at the ballot box.

"It reflects the pulse of the citizens I represent in two counties, Escambia and Baldwin," Rep. Baker said. "People want the right to vote."

Hammett said he wasn't against the lottery, but had problems with casino gambling and sports betting.

"This was rolled into one bill," Rep. Hammett said. "Once a gaming commission is formed, we can't touch them."

Rep. Hammett said once the bill gets out of the Senate it will not look like the bill passed in the House.

State Sen. Greg Albritton, who also represents Escambia County, said he will carry the bill in the Senate.

Sen. Albritton has sponsored gaming legislation for the past several years that has passed the Senate, but died in the House.

Earlier this year he said he was going to wait and let the House pass the bill first.

The last time voters in Alabama were allowed to vote on legalizing gambling was in 1999 under Gov. Don Siegelman's administration. A lottery bill passed both houses but was defeated at the ballot box.

The current bill approved by the House sets rules on where casinos can be located and allows for a statewide lottery under the control of the state.

The bill calls for the creation of an Alabama Gaming Commission that can issue licenses for up to seven casinos, with six of those going to Greene, Houston, Jefferson, Lowndes, Macon and Mobile counties.

The bill allows up to 10 casino sites that will allow sports gaming and a state lottery and will allow the state to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

The state's Legislative Service Agency estimates the three types of gambling (lottery, casinos and sports betting) will generate $600 to $900 million a year for the state.

How and where the money will go will be left up to the Legislature and likely will be included in the final bill.