Alabama State Rep. Andy Whitt recently said while traveling around the state the past six months to observe gambling operations, he purchased fake scratch-off lottery tickets in numerous locations. Also, on a day trip to a northern county, he visited 12 locations with illegal electronic bingo machines.
Whitt told the Alabama Daily News, “I’ve concluded that it’s simply the Wild West in Alabama when it comes to gaming.”
Whitt said he found thrift shops and other retailers are fronts for many of the illegal casinos he’s seen. He said citizens call him with leads on the illegal operations. “It’s simply organized crime and it’s going unchecked. They want this stuff cleaned up,” he told the Daily News.
Whitt and other House members have formed an informal group to review what kind of lottery and gambling legislation could pass in 2024. The group’s original goal was to present to voters a constitutional amendment allowing a lottery, but the group now is looking into regulating and taxing gambling in Alabama.
Another member of the group, state Rep. Chris Blackshear said, “We don’t need to expand gambling, it’s already here. It’s unregulated, the state is getting no revenue from it and if we don’t get a handle on it now, we never will.”
Whitt told the Daily News that no draft legislation has been written yet. “What does a comprehensive gaming bill look like? I think it’s like school choice. It could mean something different to anyone. We want this legislation to be drafted by lawmakers, not special interests.”
The House has passed lottery and gambling bills for several years but none has been successful. Whitt said Senate leadership has said the House must take the first steps regarding any new legislation.
