Alabama Governor Robert Bentley’s Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming recently held its sixth meeting. Bentley created the council last October, because, he said, gambling is “such a quilt work of local constitutional amendments around the state so it’s a confusing issue that’s not being resolved.”
However, in response to Bentley’s comment, attorney Eric Johnston, representing the Alabama Policy Institute and Alabama Citizens Action Program told the council, “There is no ‘confusing quilt work’ of Alabama law on gambling. To the contrary, the Alabama Supreme Court has clearly and consistently explained our law in many published decisions over the past seven years.”
State Rep. John Knight asked Johnston, if the law is so clear, why do even legislators find the state’s stance on gambling “thoroughly confusing?” Johnston replied although the law is clear, there’s confusion “about what Alabamians think the law is.” He blamed casino operators and local law enforcement in Macon, Greene, Lowndes and Houston counties—the four with constitutional “bingo” amendments—for keeping the public confused.
Johnston said the Court has repeatedly concluded in separate rulings that Alabama law does not allow electronic gambling or slot machines.
“The question isn’t, ‘Is electronic bingo legal?’ The question is, ‘Do we want to have gambling in Alabama?’ That’s the bottom line,” Johnston said.
Meanwhile, the Alabama Senate’s Democratic Caucus announced it will support a constitutional amendment to allow a lottery and casino gambling to provide revenue for the General Fund and Education Trust Fund. Last year Senate Democrats withdrew their support for Governor Robert Bentley’s lottery proposal after House members excluded allowing electronic games at the state’s greyhound tracks. The Senate Democrats said including casinos in a lottery bill is about job creation. Statewide
