Andy Witt has never been a high-profile politician. That makes him somewhat unique in today's world of social media buzz and ridiculous pandering among people in public office.

He was also the perfect choice to solve Alabama's gambling problem. Hoyt, a modest, straight-shooter with no connection to the game and serving a district with no legal gambling establishments or the possibility of opening one any time soon, was the obvious choice.

More than a year ago, Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter tasked Whitt with researching Alabama's current gambling landscape and crafting a bill that would address the entire problem, but Whitt He said he knew that if he gave someone a job, he would get it done. That it is thorough and clean.

“That's the job you give the enemy,” Whitt recently joked.

He's not wrong. Addressing Alabama's many deep-rooted gambling problems is a headache that no sane person would volunteer to tackle. In addition to the complex web of gambling regulations that include state, local, and federal laws, there are a myriad of stakeholders, some of whom may not strictly adhere to the rule of law. Masu.

Dealing with all this is not a job left to propagandists, weak-willed legislators, or dummies. And, as Hoyt learned, it's not a job for the faint of heart.

“I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I knew it would be complicated and time-consuming, but I never expected some of the things I saw and experienced.” said Whitt. “I've received some threats, some very personal things from people, some very uncomfortable conversations.”

Whitt did not go into details about the threats, only saying they came from people associated with out-of-state groups. But he said there was no doubt in their intentions.

they are not working.

In the coming weeks, the first version of the gambling bill that lawmakers drafted will die. Whitt said the bill was “100 percent written by members of Congress, without any input from special interest groups.” That's what makes it unique. And the fact that he has the backing of the Speaker and the House Republican leadership makes it a different gamble than before.

“I think we have a real chance of passing this bill because it addresses all of the issues that people have raised over the past few years,” Whitt said. “It would address a lot of what I've seen. It would greatly improve our ability to regulate illegal gambling in the state. In fact, even with the new casinos that would be allowed under this bill, I think it will reduce gambling overall in the state because we will eventually be able to shut down many of these illegal operators. Keep them closed.”

Whitt said the bill should be considered within the first two weeks of the legislative session, which is scheduled to begin on February 6.

It won't pass without a fight.

In addition to out-of-state groups raising money through various organizations within the state to fight efforts to legalize and regulate the game, a number of state groups will also be entering the fray. In fact, large companies are already doing so.

Last week, at least 10 members told APR that various ALFA officials contacted them and “sternly” pressed them to vote against the gambling bill. Lawmakers said they did not qualify the conversation as a threat, but if the ALFA representatives they spoke to voted in favor of the gambling bill, “they would make my next election significantly harder.” He stated that he had clearly stated that.

APR asked ALFA several questions regarding the lawmakers' comments. The company did not specifically answer each question, but issued a statement covering most of them.

““As a membership organization, the Alabama Farmers Federation's positions on legislative issues are guided by written policies developed by our grassroots membership,” the statement reads. “Members continue to support the federation's policy on gambling, which states: “We support working with political partners to prevent or limit the expansion of gambling in the state.'' Written: We support full enforcement of Alabama's gambling laws. We oppose all forms of gambling, including casino games, the state lottery, sports betting, electronic gaming, and online gambling. To do.”

It is unclear why ALFA, a group made up of farmers, is so keen to oppose gambling laws. Casinos and lotteries are unlikely to have a major impact on agricultural or insurance operations, and the increased regulation and reductions in illegal gambling that this bill might bring are more closely aligned with conservative groups' law-and-order beliefs. It seems that it will.

And regulation is one of the main aims of the bill Whitt is drafting.

“After what I've seen, we can't continue as usual,” Hoyt said. “These facilities are located in every county in the state and support other illegal activities. Some involve organized crime.”

Whitt isn't just pulling comments out of thin air. Last year, he visited dozens of legal and illegal gaming operations. Some of them he stopped by himself. Other times, I've had local police come along for the ride.

He found them behind gas stations, in strip malls, in large warehouses, and in shuttered restaurants. In one town, he said he found the game behind a flower shop.

“We walked into a place and the sheriff was with us, and they all immediately jumped up and ran out the back door,” Hoyt said with a laugh. “Local law enforcement didn't believe there was any illegal activity going on, but the people there definitely were.”

Confusion over this law is one of the main causes of Alabama's current gambling wild west. Whitt said he was surprised to receive calls from law enforcement officials and elected officials wanting to show him legal casinos operating in their towns. Whitt said it's unclear why they believed it was legal.

However, such misunderstandings are not uncommon when it comes to this issue. In Jefferson County, for example, some municipalities are selling licenses to casinos, which the attorney general says is an illegal gambling operation. Similar situations exist in Walker County and other cities around the state.

To be fair, this law is quite complex and often quite unclear. Meanwhile, county-specific constitutional amendments allow bingo to be played in some Alabama counties and regulate Native American casinos, including those operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Federal law says electronic bingo machines are prohibited. A type of legal bingo. Several counties also voted to approve the play of electronic bingo games. Meanwhile, the Alabama Supreme Court is seeking to overturn these constitutional amendments by creating its own bingo test and determining that the game cannot be legally played electronically in Alabama.

However, these constitutional amendments also placed the onus on sheriffs to determine whether bingo games are legal or illegal. And since these sheriffs are beholden to their local constituents above all else, and casinos pump buckets of money into local governments and economies, they typically favor bingo operators. The AG's office has historically taken an anti-electronic bingo stance, and AGs from Luther Strange to Steve Marshall have raided several casinos to shut them down. Shutdowns typically last only until the facility receives new electronic bingo machines.

That's because the effort and expense required to shut down these casinos is not worth the misdemeanors that could be levied against the casino operators, and no one knows that better than the operators. Because there are no people. Last fall, Marshall's office made headlines for raiding a casino in Lowndes County. That same casino was closed less than a year later. We are reopening from today.

Whitt's bill would address that issue and the entire gambling conundrum. Whitt said he would sell licenses and create a gambling commission responsible for oversight and regulation. A portion of the revenue from the new tax on gaming will go towards hiring law enforcement officers to properly police and shut down illegal gambling as it occurs.

This will be backed by new, tougher penalties for illegal gambling. The bill would make it a felony to operate illegally in the state.

The bill would also establish a statewide lottery and allow casino gambling in several locations around the state (the exact number has yet to be determined, but Whitt said new casinos in the Northeast would be available). Establish sports betting (Alabama), which stated that gambling is limited to counties where it is currently legal, except for locations. Details of the bill are still being worked out, but Whitt said it would be similar to the comprehensive gaming bill passed by the Senate two years ago.

“Comprehensiveness is the best way forward because it addresses all issues and makes this a thing of the past,” Whitt said. “We don't want to have to go back and do things one thing at a time. The Speaker wanted this bill to be comprehensive. We’re clear about what we want. That’s what we’re doing.”

Whitt also pointed out that behind the bill's fuss about gambling lies the fact that it's a huge jobs bill. An economic analysis of the bill passed by the Senate during the 2021 session found that it would create more than 12,000 permanent jobs and have a significant economic impact on the areas surrounding casino locations. These numbers do not include temporary effects caused by the construction of casinos and resorts or the expansion of existing facilities.

The bill was also projected to generate more than $700 million in annual tax revenue.