This year, the Alabama legislature considered but did not pass any bills to expand gambling in the state.
This year Gov. Kay Ivey told 1819 News that her greatest regret of the 2022 Alabama Regular Session was that gambling legislation did not pass.
“I was disappointed that they did not get the gambling bill passed,” Ivey said. “Not that I am so much for gambling, but I do think the people of Alabama ought to have the right to make that decision. I wish that had passed the legislature so that people could vote it up or down in November.”
That statement prompted an anti-gambling coalition to urge Gov. Ivey to avoid bringing the gambling issue up during any special sessions in 2022.
According to a press release from the group, it has been reported that $1.5M “dark money” has recently been contributed to Governor Ivey’s re-campaign for governor.
The group says it’s been rumored that at least half of that money was donated by pro-gambling organizations. In April, WBRC reported that Ivey’s largest donor, Get Families Back to Work, contributed two $750,000 contributions to her campaign. It’s the largest single donation Ivey’s received since 2013.
Additionally, the group pointed out that PCI (Poarch Creek Indians) never stopped advocating or advertising for gambling expansion, even though the regular legislative session ended April 8th.
The Alabama Legislature and Alabama voters have rejected gambling at the ballot box. Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Glenn Murdock stated, “Our founders understood how destructive gambling is for families and communities and included a blanket prohibition against it in Alabama’s constitution. As a legal and practical matter, if that clause is removed from our constitution to allow a lottery, it will open the door to all forms of Las Vegas-style gambling throughout Alabama.”
The group is calling on Ivey to resist pressure from big-money donors and gambling operators who are currently breaking state law and enforce the gambling laws that prohibit state-sponsored games of chance.
The anti-gambling group includes:
Eagle Forum of Alabama AL Conservative Coalition
AL Christian Education Association SE Law Institute
Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) Christian Citizen Task Force
Thatcher Coalition Citizens for a Better Alabama
Alabama Policy Institute
