On Tuesday, a conference committee of the Alabama House and Senate reached an agreement on the different versions of the legal gambling framework passed by both chambers during the legislative session. All six members of the committee voted in favor of the compromise version of the constitutional amendment bill (HB 151) and the implementing bill (HB 152) that would set out the framework for regulating and taxing the legal gambling system in the state.

Rep. Chris Blackshear, D-Alabama, who introduced both bills in the Alabama House of Representatives, explained the compromise the committee reached.

“First, HB 151 repeals all local bingo CAs effective September 30, 2026 and gives the new Gambling Commission authority over them until that repeal date. HB 151 also prohibits future local gambling amendments. It bans all forms of gambling with the following exceptions: state education lottery, electronic games (no tables, cards, dice or dealer), traditional raffles and traditional paper bingo,” said State Assemblyman Blackshear (R-Phenix City).

“HB 151 does not authorize sports betting. Let me be very clear, it does not. It has been repealed. The removal of sports betting was one of the biggest factors.”

According to conference reports, HB 151 would authorize the Alabama Education Lottery in paper form only, authorize electronic gambling games at seven locations included in the Senate-passed bill and require the governor to enter into compact negotiations with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

RELATED: Comparing the House and Senate versions of the 2024 Alabama legal gambling bill

The seven locations include race tracks in Greene, Jefferson, Macon and Mobile, and bingo halls in Greene, Houston and Lowndes counties. The businesses will be taxed at rates ranging from 20% to 28%.

With regard to the enforcement bill, the Senate-passed version of the Alabama Gaming Commission’s structure was adopted, along with all of the language relating to its enforcement arm, as well as Senate-passed language providing for increased criminal laws for violations.

The Alabama Lottery Corporation adopted the version passed by the House of Representatives.

“All lottery revenues will be used for education purposes through the annual supplemental budget, and we brought back language from the House that will provide every last dollar of scholarship money to two-year community colleges and technical schools,” said State Representative Blackshear.

“Research funding for higher education has been put in place, and now we've added scholarship opportunities to four-year private and public universities in the state. And the language also includes a bonus for retired teachers.”

RELATED: Alabama Senate prepares to address House's terms on 2024 gambling bill

In addition to the lottery, licensing structures were approved for seven electronic gambling establishments.

“All of the gambling revenues on the other side, gaming entities want to call them electronic gaming facilities, go into annual supplemental appropriations that are run through the general funds of both houses. We've removed language in the House version about how those funds could be appropriated,” Blackshear said.

The requirements for these facilities are set out in implementing law and require a 10-year license fee of $15 million to $30 million, payable 25 percent up front and half each over the next nine years. These facilities are subject to a 24 percent tax rate for the first five years.

The committee also adopted language from the Senate-passed version that would ban political contributions from the gambling industry.

State Senator Greg Albritton The senator, who has been a leading voice on gambling legalization efforts in the Senate in recent years, expressed cautious optimism about the progress the committee will make, including by unanimously supporting the compromise bill.

“I want to thank the members of the House of Representatives for taking on this issue and moving it forward. The Alabama Legislature has been working on this issue for a long time, and we've never gotten to this stage,” said Rep. Albritton (R-Atmore). “I don't know how far we can go, but we'll never know until we start moving forward.”

“I know there's still a lot of controversy. One thing we've been successful at is pissing everybody off,” he said. “But we're making progress.”

August 20, 2024 is the date the council will agree to hold a statewide vote on legal gambling as outlined in the constitutional amendment bill (HB 151). #AlPolitics

— Grayson Everett (@Grayson270) April 30, 2024

Also announced as part of the committee's compromise was a new election date for the statewide vote on the constitutional amendment change: Aug. 20, 2024. This date is different from the date of the November general election originally approved by the House of Representatives, nor the September date approved by the Senate.

Full votes by both the House and Senate could come as early as later today. On Tuesday evening, the House will consider a second round of expiring bills, while the Senate will vote on its agenda with bills up for debate.

The proposed constitutional amendment, HB 151, would need to be approved by a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate to put the issue of legalizing gambling before Alabama voters for the first time since 1999.

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. Grayson