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Gambling Other than Lottery
LWVAL Action Priority Level III - Issues identified by LWVAL Advocacy Committee and/or State Board or Local Leagues. Monitoring occurs; action dependent on opportunity and available resources.Click a bill to see sponsor(s), summary (including link to full text), League action and justification for that action, and progress of the bill through the legislative process.
Legend:
= LWVAL's support for the legislation. 
= LWVAL's opposition to the legislation.
= new bill activity; change from previous week's report such as new progress in the legislature and/or League action. Bill may be one newly added to the report. These updates are in green font.LWVAL has no position on gambling. It will monitor the progress of gambling legislation and report major changes in bills due to public and member interest in the issue.
LWVAL is monitoring these bills:
HB208 (Constitutional Amendment) - Alabama Lottery and Alabama Lottery Corporation estab., gaming regulated at racetracks where pari-mutuel wagering currently legal, state gross receipts tax and local gross receipts tax levied, tax on vendors of gaming equipment levied, disposition of proceeds provided, Alabama Lottery and Gaming Commission created to regulate and administer gaming, Governor authorized to negotiate a compact with Poarch Band of Indians, constitutional amendment
Sponsor(s): Representative Ford (Constitutional Amendment)
Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, lotteries and gift enterprises are prohibited by Section 65 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. This bill proposes an amendment to Section 65 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize and regulate gaming by an entity licensed by the county commission of the county in which the sponsor of the amendment resides and by the entities currently licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the four existing racetracks in Alabama where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal; to levy a state gross receipts tax and a local gross receipts tax on gaming revenue of the entities; to levy a tax on vendors of gaming equipment; to provide for the disposition of state gaming tax proceeds; to create the Alabama Gaming Commission to implement, regulate, and administer gaming and regulate; to authorize the Governor to negotiate a compact for gaming with the Poarch Band of Creek
Indians; and to require the Legislature to pass general laws to implement the amendment.
NOTE: State revenues received would go to the General Fund.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for information purposes for members and the public.
Bill Progress in the Legislature:
02/11/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, lotteries and gift enterprises are prohibited by Section 65 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. This bill proposes an amendment to Section 65 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize and regulate gaming by an entity licensed by the county commission of the county in which the sponsor of the amendment resides and by the entities currently licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the four existing racetracks in Alabama where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal; to levy a state gross receipts tax and a local gross receipts tax on gaming revenue of the entities; to levy a tax on vendors of gaming equipment; to provide for the disposition of state gaming tax proceeds; to create the Alabama Gaming Commission to implement, regulate, and administer gaming and regulate; to authorize the Governor to negotiate a compact for gaming with the Poarch Band of Creek
Indians; and to require the Legislature to pass general laws to implement the amendment.
NOTE: State revenues received would go to the General Fund.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for information purposes for members and the public.
Bill Progress in the Legislature:
02/11/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
HB558 - Alabama Lottery and Alabama Lottery Corporation estab., gaming regulated at racetracks where pari-mutuel wagering currently legal, state gross receipts tax and local gross receipts tax levied, tax on vendors of gaming equipment levied, disposition of proceeds provided, Alabama Lottery and Gaming Commission created to regulate and administer gaming, Governor authorized to negotiate a compact with Poarch Band of Indians, constitutional amendment
Sponsor(s): Representative Holmes (A)
Summary//Synopsis: This bill proposes an amendment to Section 65 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901 to establish an Alabama Lottery and the Alabama Lottery Corporation; to authorize and regulate gaming by the entities currently licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the four existing racetracks in Alabama where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal; to levy a state gross receipts tax (15%)and a local gross receipts tax on gaming revenue of the racetracks [going to the county]; to levy a tax on vendors of gaming equipment; to provide for the disposition of lottery proceeds and state gaming tax proceeds; to create the Alabama Lottery and Gaming Commission to implement, regulate, and administer gaming and regulate and supervise the Alabama Lottery and Alabama Lottery Corporation; to authorize the Governor to negotiate a compact for gaming with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; and to require the Legislature to pass general laws to implement the amendment.
After all administrative costs of the lottery are paid and the winners are paid, the remaining monies would go equally to the General Fund and Education Trust Fund. Like HB208 if a referendum passes all prior state court decisions on gaming and lotteries would be voided.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for member and public information purposes
Bill Progress in the Legislature:
04/19/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
Summary//Synopsis: This bill proposes an amendment to Section 65 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901 to establish an Alabama Lottery and the Alabama Lottery Corporation; to authorize and regulate gaming by the entities currently licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the four existing racetracks in Alabama where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal; to levy a state gross receipts tax (15%)and a local gross receipts tax on gaming revenue of the racetracks [going to the county]; to levy a tax on vendors of gaming equipment; to provide for the disposition of lottery proceeds and state gaming tax proceeds; to create the Alabama Lottery and Gaming Commission to implement, regulate, and administer gaming and regulate and supervise the Alabama Lottery and Alabama Lottery Corporation; to authorize the Governor to negotiate a compact for gaming with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; and to require the Legislature to pass general laws to implement the amendment.
After all administrative costs of the lottery are paid and the winners are paid, the remaining monies would go equally to the General Fund and Education Trust Fund. Like HB208 if a referendum passes all prior state court decisions on gaming and lotteries would be voided.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for member and public information purposes
Bill Progress in the Legislature:
04/19/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
SB388 Constitutional Amendment - Bingo, White Hall and Lowndes Co., legalizing certain operations of electronic bingo for prizes or money for charitable or educational purposes, const, amend.
Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders 4 RFD:
Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, bingo may be played in the Town of White Hall pursuant to Amendment 674 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. This bill proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that electronic bingo may be played in the Town of Whitehall and Lowndes County on any machine or device that is authorized by the National Indian Gaming Commission pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 17 2701 et seq., and which is operated by any Native American tribe in Alabama.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for information purposes for members and the public.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
04/05/2016: First Reading and Referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).
Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, bingo may be played in the Town of White Hall pursuant to Amendment 674 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. This bill proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that electronic bingo may be played in the Town of Whitehall and Lowndes County on any machine or device that is authorized by the National Indian Gaming Commission pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 17 2701 et seq., and which is operated by any Native American tribe in Alabama.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for information purposes for members and the public.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
04/05/2016: First Reading and Referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).
SB407 (Constitutional Amendment) - Bingo, White Hall and Lowndes Co., legalizing certain operations of electronic bingo for prizes or money for charitable or educational purposes, const, amend.
Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders
Summary/Synopsis: This legislation adds these sweeteners to Senator Sanders’ SB388: the levying of a state gross receipts tax and a county gross receipts tax on electronic bingo gaming; a tax on vendors of bingo gaming equipment; provides for the administration of electronic bingo by the Town Council of White Hall; provides for the allocation of the gaming tax proceeds to the State of Alabama and Lowndes County; and provides for the distribution of the local gaming tax proceeds by the Lowndes County Commission.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for information purposes for members and the public.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
03/16/2016: First Reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).
Summary/Synopsis: This legislation adds these sweeteners to Senator Sanders’ SB388: the levying of a state gross receipts tax and a county gross receipts tax on electronic bingo gaming; a tax on vendors of bingo gaming equipment; provides for the administration of electronic bingo by the Town Council of White Hall; provides for the allocation of the gaming tax proceeds to the State of Alabama and Lowndes County; and provides for the distribution of the local gaming tax proceeds by the Lowndes County Commission.
League Action and Justification: Monitor for information purposes for members and the public.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
03/16/2016: First Reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing (T&M).
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