The Lowndes County facility was dropped from the plan that finally passed out of the Senate when Sanders-Fortier’s poor health prevented her from attending Senate sessions in person. At one point the bill included legalizing the Whitehall Entertainment facility in Lowndes County at the insistence of Sen. Marsh later agreed to allow a casino at the old Country Crossings facility near Dothan in order to get Sen. The task force’s report claimed that the state could generate an additional $600 million in revenues by legalizing casino gambling at the state’s dog tracks, a state lottery, a sportsbook, and negotiating a compact with the Poarch Creek Band of Indians (PCI) which operates electronic slot machines (they call electronic bingo) at facilities in Wetumpka and Atmore under the 1987 Indian Gaming Act and licensed by the U.S. The Albritton and Marsh gaming bills are very loosely based on the findings of the 2020 Governor’s Task Force on Gaming headed by former Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange. The Marsh bill passed the Senate but died in the Alabama House of Representatives without a vote despite having the full support of the Republican governor and House leadership.
Del Marsh (R-Anniston) carried last year.
This bill is very similar to a bill that Sen.
Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) finally unveiled his long-awaited gambling bill.
