A gambling bill that would allow Alabamians to vote on whether to bring the lottery, sports betting and casinos to the state was introduced in a House committee Wednesday and could be considered by the full House as early as today. be.

Two bills containing constitutional amendments that must be approved by voters received two “no” votes each from Rep. Allen Treadaway on the 11-member House Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

“We feel like this bill is in a good place at this point,” said Rep. Andy Witt, chairman of the committee and one of several lawmakers who worked on the bill.

The gambling bill has been surprisingly popular among lawmakers this Congress, with many expressing optimism about the proposal's potential after years of trying to solve Alabama's gambling problem. That's largely because it enjoys broad support from many different factions and is expected to bring in about $1 billion a year in tax revenue for the state.

However, this does not mean that there are no critics.

Treadaway was one of the most outspoken companies Wednesday, commenting on how the law would outline the bidding process for licenses and allowing some operators currently running electronic bingo to remain open for up to two years. He pointed out that there is a problem with acknowledging this.

During the meeting, Treadaway criticized bill sponsor Rep. Chris Blackshear for the bidding process that would allow 10 casino locations in certain counties and Birmingham. The law also specifies a number of conditions regarding license eligibility that the newly established Gambling Commission must consider before granting a license. Some of these qualifications are intended to give preferential treatment to Alabamians.

Mr Treadaway argued that the bidding process should be completely open and said after the meeting that if the license could bring in $1 billion, then it should bring in that. Most of Alabama's licenses are expected to cost less than $20 million, and while this provision is advantageous to Alabamians, it does not prevent or deter major casino operators such as Bally's and Sands from winning bids.

Treadaway also argued that some of the language in the bill, such as the part that would allow current businesses in certain counties to remain open for two years, would reward criminal activity. He said that while people may refer to the machines being played at the facility as electronic bingo, they are actually illegal slot machines.

It is inaccurate in virtually all cases. Although electronic bingo games are designed like traditional slot machines, the game play is very different and is usually not preferred by customers accustomed to standard slot machines. Additionally, as Blackshear explained during the meeting, a complex interplay of Alabama law, constitutional amendments, court decisions, and local police rulings determine what is and isn't legal in many places. There is a gray area that is not completely clear.

In fact, legal uncertainty and the prevalence of gambling across the state are among the main reasons many lawmakers said they support the current bill. The law strengthens penalties for illegal gambling and establishes a law enforcement agency within the newly established Gambling Commission to investigate and regulate illegal gambling operations.

The bill also appears to be very popular with voters who want the opportunity to vote on some form of gambling. U.S. Rep. Rolanda Hollis said she has spent a lot of time recently speaking to people in her Jefferson County area and has received overwhelming support.

“A lot of people travel to other states to play the lottery and play games,” Hollis said. “People know. They see what's going on. We're paying to send kids in other states to school. We're paying for infrastructure. And so on. I'm very supportive of this bill. It makes sense.”