Key no vote on Alabama gambling bill suggests looking to next year • Alabama Reflector

And Albritton said his no vote won’t change this year. He said he might change it next year if he gets “a more palatable bill that [he] can vote for.”

Albritton said the compromise would “constrict” the Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ (PCI) involvement in the industry while allowing other entities to grow. The Poarch Band, a federally recognized tribe that operates casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka, had sought to submit a final bid on any casino licenses issued. 

In the compromise, Albritton said, there is no mechanism for PCI, based in Atmore in the senator’s district, to enter into a compact with the state because the state isn’t offering something of value, such as another site off tribal land.

He said that while PCI’s opposition was part of the reason for his ‘nay’ vote, he voted in support of the bill before going to the conference committee, when he said PCI had been lobbying against it.

Gambling bills stalled in Senate as Alabama Legislature nears adjournment

Two other aspects of the bill kept him from voting for the compromise from the conference committee. There was no authorization for sports betting, which he said is a growing industry; there was no regulation for online gaming, whether it be slots, poker or roulette.

“We have not done anything to control, restrict, oversee or tax that. Those are two growing portions of the industry that we just ignore with this bill,” he said.

Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, one of the lawmakers assigned to the conference committee, said in a phone interview Monday that the Senate thought expanding casino gaming, especially with an open bid process, and legalizing sports betting was “too much for right now.” Gudger said addiction is a concern when it comes with electronic sports betting, especially for young people.

“It changes the whole course of, really, their life, just based on something they really didn’t know that much about except we’re having fun or we’re trying to get out of some other debt or just make some easy money,” Gudger said.

But he said that from their estimates, over $1.2 billion is being spent on sports betting in-state currently. He sees the need for lawmakers to have that discussion, but he said that it came on too quickly.

“We felt like in the Senate, from the House version, that we weren’t ready for that, but I do think there is an appetite to look into that as time goes on,” Gudger said.

House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said last week that he’s not in the mood to work on another piece of legislation, saying it’s “one of those things you can’t win.”

Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Smiths Station, sponsored the original gambling proposal in the House. When asked about the chances of working on another piece gambling legislation in next year’s session, he had a definite, one-word response.

“ZERO!” Blackshear responded in a text.