Alabama state Senator Del Marsh announced he will not introduce gambling legislation in the legislative session that will begin in early February. His bill would have legalized a state lottery and four Las Vegas-style casinos at existing dog racetracks and established a gaming commission. “I can count votes. The votes are not there at this time for the bill. I continue to believe gaming is an idea we should consider given the dollars it would generate for the state and the jobs it would create. But a majority of my colleagues do not agree and I am going to move on,” Marsh said.
The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee approved Marsh’s legislation in August but it failed to move forward. Governor Robert Bentley commented that the bill “is one of the worst pieces of legislation” he had ever seen and that it would “make Alabama look like Las Vegas.”
Marsh had commissioned Auburn University in Montgomery to do a study on the economic impact of a lottery and casino gambling in Alabama. The study found gambling at the four racetracks could create 11,000 jobs and generate $400 million in annual tax revenue at a time when the state is facing a budget shortfall of up to $700 million.
Marsh concluded, “I have things I need to get done. Other senators have things they need to get done for their constituencies. The fact is we have some members who are so opposed to gaming at this time that for them tying up the whole legislative process, seeing the session crash and burn, was not too high a price to pay to fight the legislation. I was not willing to see that happen.” He noted other proponents of gambling can pursue the issue if they want to. “I will not block an effort by anyone who wants to try to do it. I’m just saying that as of today I won’t be pushing it,” Marsh said.
