In Alabama, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said although the legislature did not pass a lottery measure last year, “There will be a lottery bill that will come up again.”
He said a lottery proposal must address two major issues. “One is the need for revenue in the state. Is the lottery going to be a revenue producer for our state that we can use?” he asked. Second, McCutcheon said, “You’ve got the Poarch Creek Indians’ interest in the state. Is there an option there for a compact? And could that produce revenue for the state?”
Currently the Poarch Band of Creek Indians operates three gaming facilities in Alabama, without a gaming compact. McCutcheon said under a compact, the tribe could expand in exchange for sharing casino revenue with the state.
McCutcheon also said counties that host bingo parlors also could have a voice regarding a lottery. “Like your Greenetrack, Victoryland, Jefferson County issues. You’ve got those little pockets,” he stated.
McCutcheon said the state House and Senate have indicated they could pass a “clean lottery bill.” Any lottery bill that would pass the Senate and end up on the ballot would have to be absolutely clear to voters, he said. “I think the lottery for the vote of the people will be a clean bill. But, can we talk about that separate from the gambling issue?”
He added, “When you talk about the lottery, you have to make sure that you’re opening up the door to the word ‘gambling.’ And if you’re going to talk about gambling, you can’t say, ‘I’m against gambling, but I’m for a lottery.'”
