Throughout the multi-decades fight over gambling in Alabama, there has been one consistent argument that has hampered legalization and regulation.
Morals.
No matter how little sense a moral argument has made – whether it be about debunked claims of increased crime rates around casinos or the increase of problem gamblers despite gambling being widespread already in the state – the moral argument against gambling and its “ill-gotten gains” has remained a constant and consistent crutch for the anti-gaming crowd.
In recent years, though, that argument has lost steam. Where once groups fighting any legalization in Alabama would inevitably turn to churches to help spread their messages, such approaches are typically more localized and specific, if they happen at all.
That’s primarily because of the saturation of gambling. It’s everywhere.
From gambling lines and endless commercials for online sportsbooks inundating every televised sporting event to multiple operational casinos in the state currently to lotteries surrounding us on all sides, it has been so impossible to escape the proliferation of gambling – even in this state where it’s supposed to be “illegal” – that the normalcy of it has reduced the ability to get people morally outraged about it.
In fact, some would argue that refusing to properly regulate it and tax it, so the state could recoup some money to use, in part, to address problem gambling, is the actual moral failing.
“We have a moral obligation to regulate gambling – we really do,” said state Sen. Greg Albritton. “We are failing the people of this state by continuing to acknowledge that we have a problem and doing nothing about it. And that’s exactly what we’re doing with gambling. We know it’s here. We know we have a multitude of problems because we haven’t regulated it properly, but we are still doing nothing. That’s a moral failing.”
The man has a point.
To illustrate just how widespread the problem is right now, just last week, federal law enforcement officials announced the arrests of 10 men, including five from Alabama, for operating an illegal sportsbook in the state for more than two decades. They failed to pay taxes on more than $2 billion in wagers. They agreed to pay back nearly $20 million in fines.
That’s just one group that mostly operated in the Birmingham area. Trust me when I tell you that there are similar operations in northeast, northwest, central, southeast and southwest Alabama. In addition to off-shore sportsbooks. If you somehow doubt any of this to be true, simply ask … almost anybody.
And that’s just sportsbooks.
Also operating in this state are three Native American casinos – offering electronic bingo – operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. There are also facilities operating historical horse racing machines, which function similarly to slot machines, in Birmingham, Shorter and Greene County. There are also literally hundreds of illegal gambling halls all over the state – located in the back of gas stations, the back of laundromats, beauty salons and abandoned storefronts. A friend of mine told me about a pop-up slot machine casino located in an old pet grooming shop around Montgomery a couple of months ago.
There isn’t much that can be done to stop it. The operators of the illegal entities can only be charged with misdemeanor crimes, which result in a few hundred dollars in fines and a minor inconvenience. They pay it, move locations and are back making thousands per day in a week.
So, we’ve done nothing much – aside from harass the folks who have tried to follow the laws – to stop any of it. It’s time that changed. It’s time we viewed this all just as Albritton is: as a moral failing to do nothing.
Last year, the Alabama House offered up a comprehensive gambling bill that would have given voters the opportunity to approve legislation that established up to seven casino licenses, authorized sports wagering and a lottery and created a gaming commission to finally start the process of shutting down hundreds of illegal casinos and sportsbooks operating all over the state. It passed the House with ease but bogged down in the Senate over relatively petty disagreements and a campaign against it by Alfa.
It also didn’t help that the Poarch Creeks opposed the bill, although their reasoning for opposing it is often (purposefully) misconstrued. The tribe simply wanted language inserted that would have provided state operators with the chance to have the last and best bid on any licenses. That, they felt, would have ensured the state still made top dollar on bidding the licenses while also giving operators, such as PCI, the opportunity to protect their established businesses within the state. As for the primary structure of the licensing and other portions of the bill, PCI was supportive.
There currently has not been a gambling bill introduced for this legislative session, although there are rumblings that various lawmakers are kicking around ideas.
There’s no reason to make this harder than it is. Go back to the bill from last year, make a few changes, get the votes and move forward with this. If lawmakers don’t, both Albritton and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter have predicted that voters might start punishing them.
That’s because gambling is consistently one of the most popular topics of interest in polling. In recent polls, it has surpassed a number of Republican favorites, such as immigration, transgender issues and is running neck and neck with crime.
“They should …” start holding lawmakers accountable, Albritton said of voters. “It would be a nice change.”
Especially since it’s the right thing to do.
