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Other Issues - Lottery and Gambling
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), synopsis, link to the bill, and information about the first introduction of the bill.
Contact information for legislators and committees referenced in the bills below:
Representatives Standing House Committees Senators Standing Senate Committees Find my legislators
LWVAL has no position on a lottery or gambling. The legislation and their links are listed here to assist those in the public and membership interested in the issue. Most of the bills amend Section 65 of the 1901 Alabama Constitution and are designed as a fix for General Fund revenue shortfalls and a way to avoid true tax reform. Bill status updates will not be given.
LWVAL only lists these bills:
HB6 - Constitutional Amendment - Lotteries, Legislature authorized to provide by general law, const. amend
Sponsor(s): Representative Harper
Synopsis: This amends Section 65 to allow the Legislature to provide for a lottery to be operated on behalf and for the benefit of the state under terms and regulations set forth by general l aw, and to provide for the distribution of the proceeds.
Once lottery expenses and payouts are paid, it divides proceeds this way: 61.5% to the General Fund and 3.5 % to the Education Trust Fund.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
Synopsis: This amends Section 65 to allow the Legislature to provide for a lottery to be operated on behalf and for the benefit of the state under terms and regulations set forth by general l aw, and to provide for the distribution of the proceeds.
Once lottery expenses and payouts are paid, it divides proceeds this way: 61.5% to the General Fund and 3.5 % to the Education Trust Fund.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
HB10 - Constitutional Amendment - Lottery, authorized, Alabama Lottery Corporation, created, distrib. of revenues for college scholarships, Sec. 65, Constitution of Alabama of 1901 am'd., const. amend.
Sponsor(s): Representative Ford
Synopsis: This bill amends Section 65 to establish an Alabama Lottery to fund scholarships and to create an Alabama Lottery Corporation to implement and to regulate the operation of the lottery.
The amendment dedicates the net proceeds from the lottery to the Lottery Trust Fund for scholarships for students to attend a public two- or four-year college located in Alabama. The amendment also establishes the Lottery Trust Fund and authorizes the Legislature to pass general laws to implement the amendment.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
Synopsis: This bill amends Section 65 to establish an Alabama Lottery to fund scholarships and to create an Alabama Lottery Corporation to implement and to regulate the operation of the lottery.
The amendment dedicates the net proceeds from the lottery to the Lottery Trust Fund for scholarships for students to attend a public two- or four-year college located in Alabama. The amendment also establishes the Lottery Trust Fund and authorizes the Legislature to pass general laws to implement the amendment.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
HB11 - Constitutional Amendment - Alabama Lottery and Alabama Lottery Corporation estab., gaming regulated at racetracks where pari-mutuel wagering currently legal, and one other loctation, state gross receipts tax and local gross receipts tax levied, tax on vendors of gaming equipment levied, disposition of proceeds provided, Alabama Gaming Commission created to regulate and administer gaming, Governor authorized to negotiate a compact with Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Lottery Trust Fund estab., proceeds allocated to college scholarships, Legislature required to pass enabling legislation, constitutional amendment
Sponsor(s): Representative Ford
Synopsis: This bill amends Section 65 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 the entities currently licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the four existing racetracks in Alabama where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal.
It would levy a state gross receipts tax and a local gross receipts tax on gaming revenue and a state tax on vendors of gaming equipment; provide for the disposition of the state tax proceeds; create the Alabama Gaming Commission to implement, regulate, and administer gaming and regulate; authorize the Governor to negotiate a compact for gaming with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; establish an Alabama Lottery; to establish an Alabama Lottery Corporation; establish the Lottery Trust Fund; provide for the allocation of the lottery proceeds to the Lottery Trust Fund for scholarships (limited to two years and for Alabama citizens) to attend a public two- or four-year college located in Alabama; and to require the Legislature to implement the amendment through enabling legislation.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
Synopsis: This bill amends Section 65 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 the entities currently licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at the four existing racetracks in Alabama where pari-mutuel wagering is currently legal.
It would levy a state gross receipts tax and a local gross receipts tax on gaming revenue and a state tax on vendors of gaming equipment; provide for the disposition of the state tax proceeds; create the Alabama Gaming Commission to implement, regulate, and administer gaming and regulate; authorize the Governor to negotiate a compact for gaming with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; establish an Alabama Lottery; to establish an Alabama Lottery Corporation; establish the Lottery Trust Fund; provide for the allocation of the lottery proceeds to the Lottery Trust Fund for scholarships (limited to two years and for Alabama citizens) to attend a public two- or four-year college located in Alabama; and to require the Legislature to implement the amendment through enabling legislation.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House Committee on the Economic Development and Tourism (ED&T).
HB16 - Constitutional Amendment - Gaming, tribal compact for gaming, legislative ratification required, const. amend.
Sponsor(s): Representative Boyd
Synopsis: Under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, if Class III gaming is authorized in a state, a qualifying Indian tribe may enter into a compact with the state for the operation of Class III gaming activities in the state.
This bill would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that any tribal compact negotiated by the Governor would become effective only if ratified by three-fifths of all the members elected to each house of the Legislature.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections (CC&E)
Synopsis: Under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, if Class III gaming is authorized in a state, a qualifying Indian tribe may enter into a compact with the state for the operation of Class III gaming activities in the state.
This bill would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that any tribal compact negotiated by the Governor would become effective only if ratified by three-fifths of all the members elected to each house of the Legislature.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
First Read 02/ 07/2017 and assigned to the House committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections (CC&E)
SB40, SB41 AND SB43 - All Constitutional Amendments - Bingo, White Hall and Lowndes Co., legalizing certain operations of electronic bingo for prizes or money for charitable or educational purposes, const, amend.
SB40 Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders
SB41 Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders
SB43 Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders
All three bills deal with gambling in the town of White Hall and Lowndes County. Under existing law, bingo may be played in White Hall pursuant to Amendment 674 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. The bills propose amendments to the Constitution of Alabama that would add new gambling provisions, but they present differing options.
Synopsis SB40: The bill would 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. § 2701 et seq., and which is operated by any Native American tribe in Alabama; levy a state gross receipts tax and a county gross receipts tax on electronic bingo gaming; levy a tax on vendors of bingo gaming equipment; provide for the administration of electronic bingo by the Town Council of White Hall; provide for the allocation of the gaming tax proceeds to the State of Alabama and Lowndes County; and provide for the distribution of the local gaming tax proceeds by the Lowndes County Commission.
Synopsis SB41: 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. § 2701 et seq., and which is operated by any Native American tribe in Alabama.
Synopsis SB43: 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.
It legalizes certain operations of electronic bingo games for prizes or money for charitable or educational purposes in the Town of White Hall and Lowndes County; authorizes the Town of White Hall to operate and license electronic bingo games; and prohibits persons under the age of 18 from playing electronic bingo.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
SB40:
02/07/2017: Read for the First time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing
SB41:
02/07/2017: Read for the First time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing
SB43:
02/07/2017: Read for the First time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing
SB41 Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders
SB43 Sponsor(s): Senator Sanders
All three bills deal with gambling in the town of White Hall and Lowndes County. Under existing law, bingo may be played in White Hall pursuant to Amendment 674 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. The bills propose amendments to the Constitution of Alabama that would add new gambling provisions, but they present differing options.
Synopsis SB40: The bill would 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. § 2701 et seq., and which is operated by any Native American tribe in Alabama; levy a state gross receipts tax and a county gross receipts tax on electronic bingo gaming; levy a tax on vendors of bingo gaming equipment; provide for the administration of electronic bingo by the Town Council of White Hall; provide for the allocation of the gaming tax proceeds to the State of Alabama and Lowndes County; and provide for the distribution of the local gaming tax proceeds by the Lowndes County Commission.
Synopsis SB41: 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. § 2701 et seq., and which is operated by any Native American tribe in Alabama.
Synopsis SB43: 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.
It legalizes certain operations of electronic bingo games for prizes or money for charitable or educational purposes in the Town of White Hall and Lowndes County; authorizes the Town of White Hall to operate and license electronic bingo games; and prohibits persons under the age of 18 from playing electronic bingo.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
SB40:
02/07/2017: Read for the First time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing
SB41:
02/07/2017: Read for the First time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing
SB43:
02/07/2017: Read for the First time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Marketing
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