Speaking to AL.com on March 28, Barkley said he would “love” to be part of any potential Alabama casino project. Lawmakers in Alabama are believed to be working on a bill that would allow casinos to open in the state.
Alabama last year came close to legalizing several forms of gambling, including casinos and sports betting. A bill passed the House of Representatives, but a trimmed-down version lost by a single vote in the Senate.
Barkley, an Alabama native, has previously declared his support for legal gambling in the state. He said it would help generate additional tax revenue for Alabama.
When asked about potentially joining a casino project, Barkley said: “I would love to be part of it. It just has to be in the right location.”
Senator Keen on African-American Casino Ownership
Furthermore, black lawmakers are calling for a provision for at least one casino with African-American majority ownership. This is according to Democratic Senator Bobby Singleton.
“I have been in conversation with the potential sponsor,” he said. “One of the things I’ve asked for in the bill for us to fully support it is some African American ownership — not just people working in the place.
“Because it’s my people who walk through those doors more frequently than anyone else, we should at least have some ownership so that we could also be good corporate citizens in our communities.”
As for where the casino would be located, Singleton said he is keen for the venue to be built in Birmingham, Alabama’s largest city.
Incidentally, Wind Creek Hospitality last year announced it would purchase the Birmingham Racecourse. At the time, the Poarch Creek tribe, which owns Wind Creek, said it was seeking to create a “premier entertainment destination” at the site.
“I look forward to working with Mr. Barkley and whoever wants to sit down at the table and see if we can craft language to make sure we have some ownership participation in this process,” Singleton added. “That’s what I look forward to.”
Barkley played in the NBA for a total of 16 seasons. He is an 11-time NBA All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player.
