Arthur Orr says Senators should consider 'if the votes are there for a lottery' during 2025 session

State Sen. Arthur Orr said the appetite for a statewide lottery remains high among lawmakers and constituents heading into year three of the current quadrennium – but a lottery is about as far as it goes. Orr (R-Decatur) said Thursday such a bill would start in the Senate after an ambitious push by the Alabama House fell short earlier this year.

“I think that we ought to try to see if the votes are there for a lottery. Not talking about any type of gaming. Not talking about expansion. But, put a lottery on the ballot. Because the people I talk to – whether they be from South Alabama, North Alabama – it all starts with wanting a lottery vote,” Orr said Thursday on FM Talk 1065’s “The Jeff Poor Show.”

“And then after that, it gets more complex, but a very strong majority seem to want that lottery vote, and that’s something I think elected legislators need to be sensitive to.”

Orr added that a push would need to maintain the broadest form of support by focusing on a lottery and avoiding other aspects of gambling proposals in years past that have complicated and splintered consensus between chambers. “I mean, if [the votes are not there], we move on…we don’t get bogged down and let it bog us down.”

Orr also spoke to the financial impact of a lottery, saying it would generate an estimated $150-200 million annually — helpful, but far from transformative for the state’s $10 billion Education Trust Fund. “It’s not a large revenue maker,” Orr said.

Since Alabama voters rejected a lottery in 1999, the Alabama Legislature has made repeated efforts to pass gambling legislation, with all proposals ultimately stalling due to disagreements over scope and scale. In 2020, Governor Kay Ivey’s study group projected a lottery could generate $200-$300 million annually, with casinos adding $300-$400 million.

This year, the Alabama House passed a comprehensive gaming bill including a lottery, casinos, and sports betting, altogether estimated to bring in $1.2 billion annually. The Senate scaled the bill down to focus on a lottery and limited pari-mutuel wagering. The two chambers failed to reconcile their differences before the session ended.

Despite the modest benefits of an scaled-down version, focusing mainly on a lottery, Orr said he and colleagues have a duty to consider the overwhelming public support for the issue by focusing on their constituents rather than special interests.

“So, my point is, when you have that large of a crowd, or group of people, voters in Alabama, wanting something to take place — I don’t think it goes away. Now, when you get into gaming and casinos and the complexities, that number drops, and that’s the reason I think at least we ought to discuss whether a lottery-type vote is in the cards for the third year of the quadrennium.”

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270