Alabama’s four greyhound racetracks have formed the Alabama Track Owners Association and launched an ad campaign urging voters to support a constitutional amendment that would allow a lottery, casinos and sports betting in the state.
The group includes the Birmingham Race Course, Greenetrack Bingo & Racing, Mobile Greyhound Park and VictoryLand.
The track owners set up a short video ad with an 800 phone number where callers are routed to the office of their representative.
A proposed constitutional amendment to regulate gambling and allow the betting trifecta failed on the final night of the legislative session in May. The Legislative Services Agency estimated that legislation would have generated $500 million to $700 million a year. In addition, the track owners said Alabama loses $700 million a year in tax revenue to surrounding states due to its lack of a lottery, casinos and sports betting.
To expand gambling in the state, the legislature would have to pass a constitutional amendment, which then would require voter approval. The legislature will not meet again until January 11, 2022.
The association released a statement: “Alabama is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in gaming and lottery revenue to Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. This continues to happen year after year because the Alabama state legislature has not approved the comprehensive gaming and lottery plan that would give the people of Alabama the chance to vote on a constitutional amendment. If the constitutional amendment approving the comprehensive gaming and lottery plan were to pass, the state of Alabama would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional tax revenue that could be used to fund Alabama priorities including broadband, healthcare, college and trade school scholarships, new job growth, workforce development and new business opportunities.”
Alabama voters have not expressed a position on expanded gambling since they rejected then-Governor Don Siegelman’s lottery plan in 1999.
