A massive deal on gambling could be made in the state of Alabama, but the process has a long way to go.
This was exactly the opinion that some Poarch Creek Indians representatives and owners of non-Indian casino venues in the state shared with Governor Kay Ivey’s Study Group on Gambling Policy a few days ago. The 12-member group heard some presentations given by representatives from all casinos and race tracks in Alabama, as the state continues to make attempts to roll out a proposal that the Governor and state lawmakers could use as the basis of future gambling legislation.
However, moving forward with almost any legislation within the state will require some kind of an agreement between Nat Winn, the CEO of Greene Track, PCI and Lewis Benefield, who operates the Birmingham Race Course and VictoryLand. The owners of smaller electronic bingo halls situated in the counties of Lowndes and Greene will also have to participate.
The situation, in which the various but equally-matched entities have been involved, has been the main obstacle that prevented gambling expansion over the last few years. Furthermore, it has left Alabama in a weird situation in which casino venues are operating every day but many legal questions have emerged, while the state is making very little as far as generating tax revenue from any of them.
A Deal Could Attract More Voters to Alabama Gambling Offering
Now, lawmakers from the state of Alabama seem ready to take some steps forward to make legislation happen, especially considering the fact there has been significant public support for sportsbooks, lotteries and full casino gambling. Even most of the Republican voters who took part in the research said they back full casinos across the state. Apart from that, neighboring states of Alabama have been aimed at quickly expanding their offerings, so lawmakers in the state could hurry up and make steps towards expansion of the local gambling sector.
What is more, the two parties in the controversy – the track owners and PCI – seem to be ready to make a deal. The operator of VictoryLand and the Birmingham Race Course, Lewis Benefield, shared that in his opinion, there is a plan that would be beneficial for all parties who are interested in such a move. Mr. Benefield also shared that he would like to see everyone put together a proposal that could be found attractive by customers and get them back from Alabama’s neighboring states that feature more extensive gambling options. Unfortunately, he also shared that they would probably be hardly able to work together.
The vice president of business development at PCI, Arthur Mothershed, agreed with this position, saying that the parties should sit down and communicate in order to make a decision. Both Mr. Benefield and Mr. Mothershed have previously met each other and have held several discussions over the last few months.
