The Alabama Track Owners Association, consisting of the owners of the state’s four dog racing tracks, recently kicked off an advertising campaign spotlighting the tax revenue lost annually due to lawmakers’ failure to pass casino gambling, sports betting and lottery legislation.
The ads, sponsored by VictoryLand, GreeneTrack, Mobile Greyhound Park and the Birmingham Race Course, put the lost-revenue figure at $700 million, the amount estimated by Governor Kay Ivey’s Commission on Gaming. They also note expanded gambling would create about 12,000 new jobs.
Association spokesman Robert Kennedy Jr. said, “We started appealing directly to the people to contact our legislators and tell them that we want them to get this comprehensive gaming and lottery plan done now.”
Expanded gambling supporters said the actual amount of revenue the state is missing out on could be closer to $1 billion, since it’s also losing payroll taxes generated by the new casinos and revenue from an as-yet to be negotiated compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which currently operates casinos.
Various gambling bills failed in the last legislation session. Lawmakers couldn’t agree on whether to allow a lottery and casino gambling or just a lottery, as well as how to spend the revenue. Pushback from religious and conservative groups also sank the bills, along with conflict between the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and track owners.
Ivey has signaled any special sessions that might be held later this year would deal with prison reform, not gambling. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said, “An issue that is that controversial and has so much subject material in it, for a special session, it would not have time to get any traction.”
