Alabama Republican Lawmaker Says Votes Lacking for Gaming Package

An Alabama Republican in the state Senate is warning those who want to legalize more forms of gambling that the odds aren t good a bill will find adequate support when the new legislature convenes in February.

In May, state Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) was among the 15 no votes on a gaming package compromise reached by a special conference committee that stopped the issue from going before voters during last month s presidential election. Givhan says though the Senate and House makeup will change next year when lawmakers are sworn in, he doesn t believe the tide has changed in gaming s favor.

I don t think the election changes anything, Givhan said during an interview on The Dale Jackson Show on WVNN Radio. Our new caucus rule says a majority of our caucus has to support a bill to go forward. We re just not there. Not close.

House Bill 151, the committee s compromise, required three-fifths majority support to reach the ballot. The legislative-initiated referendum easily passed the House of Delegates in May before failing in the Senate .

The committee of three state Senators and three House Delegates recommended that voters be presented with a referendum asking them to authorize a state-run lottery, at parimutuel wagering facilities, and enter into a Class III tribal gaming compact with the Poach Band of Creek Indians to bring Las Vegas-style slots and live dealer table games to the tribe s . The committee opted to exclude sports betting.

On the conference committee s members state Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) was the deciding no vote after he said he was overruled in seeking more privileges for the Poach Indians. Albritton, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress this year by way of Alabama s 2nd congressional district, wanted to allow the tribe to pursue a casino in the northern part of the state.

The tribe s current Class II electronic bingo casinos Wind Creek Atmore, Wind Creek Montgomery, and Wind Creek Wetumpka are in the southern part of the state. Alabama s two most populated cities, Huntsville and Birmingham, are in the northern half.

House Republicans backed the with a 70-32 vote. House leaders, however, say they aren t going to lead the gaming push next year because there presumably isn t support in the Senate.

The House has said repeatedly they re not going to start the bill, Givhan said. I m not saying we don t talk about [gaming]. I just don t see [a bill] coming forward this quadrennium.

For now, it appears Alabama will continue to remain free of slot machines, live dealer table games, and sports betting. As a result, the Poach Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama, purchased the  to secure a market position in the state s northern half.

Being a parimutuel wagering facility, the racecourse is permitted to house slot-like historical horse racing (HHR) machines. HHR terminals look and sound like slots but instead of randomizing the outcome of each play as a slot does, a historical racing machine determines wins based on previously run horse races.