Alabama House Speaker Mac McCutcheon recently walked back on suggestions he would lead an effort to introduce a lottery bill in the upcoming legislative session. He said that was based on a “general feeling or no concrete knowledge on my part. As far as I am aware, no lottery bills have been drafted, pre-filed or even discussed in any detail among members. And any effort to come forward with a lottery bill in the House would not be led by the leadership, which obviously includes me.”
McCutcheon added for a lottery bill to be successful, “it should be defined as a traditional paper ticket lottery rather than an electronic lottery that could open the door to slot machines and other gambling devices.”
Alabama is one of only five states that do not have any form of lottery. The others are Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Mississippi lawmakers passed a gambling bill last month, including a lottery that lawmakers expect to generate $40 million in its first year and up to $100 million in later years.
Alabama voters rejected a lottery bill in 1999.
Republican Governor Kay Ivey and Democratic nominee Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox both recently have expressed support for a lottery. Also, Robbie McGhee, governmental relations advisor for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which operates three casinos in Alabama, said a lottery “is something we have spoken to in the past that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians doesn’t have a problem with.”
McGhee stated, “Many people have asked, ‘Would a lottery have an economic impact on the tribe with what they do with the bricks and mortars?’ We’ve done a lot of various studies, and various tribes across the United States have done studies, and they really don’t.”
McGhee noted the tribe’s casino in Atmore is located 10 miles from the state line of Florida, where a lottery is legal. “We have many people within that area that play. And so, we don’t feel it would have an economic impact, and that’s why we said we don’t mind supporting it if it is something good for the state of Alabama,” he said.
One issue that would remain unclear if a lottery were legalized is whether that would allow the tribe to offer Class 3 gaming. McGhee noted it’s illegal in Alabama but permitted under the Indian Gaming and Regulatory Act.
“What it does mean is that the discussion should start taking place that Class 3 gaming is still allowed in the state, how about we sitting down with the state of Alabama and the governor’s office to negotiate a compact to make sure that the state can work out an agreement with the tribe that’s beneficial to both parties,” McGhee said.
