Alabama is likely to remain one of five states without a lottery, as SB 319, which the Senate passed last month, died in the House.
The bill would have allowed Alabamans to vote in November 2022 on whether the state should amend the constitution and implement expanded gambling, including a state lottery, sports betting and casinos. It also would have allowed the state and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to enter into a gaming compact.
The legislation originally failed to pass a vote in the Senate, but it was revived and passed on a second attempt. It moved to the House but never was brought up for a vote. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon pulled the bill, claiming it didn’t have the votes to meet the 60 percent majority required for a constitutional amendment.
Republicans blamed Democrats for making last-minute demands on the bill, including inserting language expressing some of the revenue generated by gambling would go toward expanding Medicaid; Democrats blamed Republicans for pushing a lottery only bill at the last minute, with little time allowed for them to read it.
McCutcheon said, “Tensions were high because people have been working so hard. Everybody was just really upset at the way things were. There was no effort to pull anything behind anybody’s back. We were trying to get a bill on the floor.”
Legislators will return for the final day of the session, Monday, May 17. McCutcheon said it was unlikely that the bill would pass, especially since it would have to go back to the Senate to approve the changes. He said, “I can’t say that we will not try to address it. But I can say that because of the bill and the way it is, it’s going to be doubtful. It’s going to be difficult to get it passed now, at such a late date.”
