Sen. Del Marsh won’t propose gambling bill in second special session

Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh won’t propose his bill to allow a statewide vote on a lottery and casinos during the second special session.

Another Republican senator, Paul Sanford of Huntsville, said he will introduce a different lottery proposal for the first time.

The bill Marsh introduced during the regular session and first special session was a proposed constitutional amendment to allow a lottery and casinos at the state’s four greyhound tracks.

It got little traction in either session, never coming up for a floor vote in the Senate.

Gov. Robert Bentley has called the gambling issue a distraction to legislators trying to resolve a shortfall in the General Fund budget.

“I’m not going to introduce a gaming bill because the governor seems to want to use that as an excuse, and I’m not going to give him one,” Marsh said.

Marsh says there is little support in the Senate for the governor’s calls for tax increases to fix the General Fund shortfall.

Marsh’s office commissioned a report from Auburn University at Montgomery that said his gambling plan would raise $400 million a year, about $330 million of that from a lottery, and that the casinos would create 11,000 jobs.

Bentley and others said the plan could not provide revenue in time to help the 2025 budget shortfall.

Marsh said it would be a way to create long-term revenue source for education and the General Fund.

“But it seems like people didn’t want to take it up at this point in time, and that’s fine,” Marsh said.

Marsh said he would decide later whether to propose the bill during the next regular session, which starts in February, depending on how much support it has.

Sanford’s proposal would allow a statewide vote on a lottery only. His plan would be to use established multi-state lottery games to save costs on startup and marketing.

Sanford said there’s strong interest in a lottery in his district because it borders Tennessee, which has a lottery.

“There’s a lot of people that want the opportunity to buy lottery tickets without crossing the state line,” Sanford said. “They want to see the money used here in the state.”

Sanford said he will link his lottery proposal to a budget reform measure he has worked on for several years.

That bill would create the Alabama Recurring Revenue Fund, one pot of money for the regular taxes that go to the Education Trust Fund and the General Fund.

The money would then be distributed based on the history of how state funds have been allocated — 78 percent to the Education Trust Fund and 22 percent to the General Fund.

Sanford said that would allow the two funds to share the tax sources that grow with the economy, like income and sales taxes, “rather than trying to pick  winners and losers.”

Most of the growth taxes go to education now, which is one reason the General Fund has had shortfalls for years.

The fiscal note on Sanford’s bill says it would increase revenues to the General Fund by $153 million next year and reduce revenues to the ETF by the same amount.

The General Fund shortfall next year has been projected at $200 million or more.

Sanford’s lottery plan would direct the proceeds to the Recurring Revenue Fund his other bill would create.

Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, the minority leader in the House of Representatives, has proposed lottery bills for several years, but the Republican majority has not supported them.

(Original Article)

Alabama Senate passes gambling bill

05/17/2025 Alabama Senate committee has moved forward on legalizing online gambling. The bill is going to bring to Alabama several online forms for both markets, lottery and casino games. Like many other US states, Alabama has been struggling with budget cuts, and therefore looking for solutions to increase state’s tax revenues. The bill to decriminalize online gambling, casino games and lottery, has been the only answer to the state prays. The Senate committee has decided to pass the online gambling bill this week although there is still a need to work on the legislation details. The different parties are not quite sure about this step even though legalizing online gambling seems to be the only way to boost the state economy. The bill still needs to become law, as now it is just a constitutional amendment that needs to be approved by voters next September. If Alabama Senate and voters legalize online gambling, online forms for both lottery and casino games will be allowed in several sites within the state: Victory Land in Macon County; Greene track in Greene County, the Birmingham Race Course, and Mobile Greyhound Park. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, as usual, has come out with negative remarks and does not want the bill; Native American Reserves casinos are still under the impression that online gambling would interfere their business, one of the main reasons why Wind Creek Casino in Atmore does not want the bill. Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, has said: “I’m not a gamer. As a Republican I’ve never been big behind gaming, but I think gaming is here to stay. We’re making sure that we as a state receive fair revenue from (the sector). It’s not something I have pressured people on. I had the votes to get it out of committee and I think that was the next step to get it on the floor. I do not want to open that floodgate. What I do want to do is create a gaming commission to make these decisions going forward.” House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, commented: “I don’t think there’s much chance of passing the Senate. I haven’t really polled our members, but my prediction down here is it has a very low chance of passing”. Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, said: “Gambling is for losers. I think a lot of people may think this is a solution to this year’s budget problems, and it is not. People can manipulate a crisis to pass something that has long-term consequences.”

(Original Article)