A commission tasked with exploring how Alabama might operate a lottery heard from gaming executives about how to implement a state-led system. During the meeting, officials from lotteries in Louisiana and New Hampshire urged the Governor’s Advisory Council on Gambling to consider strong cautions on how to draft workable legislation, should the plan become a reality in the Yellowhammer State.
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Rose Hudson, president and CEO of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation and president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, advised lawmakers that a proposed lottery’s revenue must fund education.
“The dedication of that revenue (to education) at the outset is very important,” he said. “It’s a selling point – it’s a point of accountability with your citizens and stakeholders.”
Other suggestions for using the lottery’s revenue stream include allocating a portion to treat those with gambling addictions.
The governor’s Council is responsible for examining current state laws, looking at revenue that could be generated by gaming, and will also consider best practices that have been implemented in other states. In October, Bentley announced its formation, saying that he believed that the matter wouldn’t be resolved until the people of Alabama are allowed to consider a Constitutional Amendment.
“There has to be something put before the people of this state so they can vote on it,” he said at the time. “I don’t believe it’s ever going to be resolved unless the people are a part of that solution.”
In order for a lottery to become legal in Alabama, voters would have to first approve a constitutional amendment. Though, such a proposal faces steep odds of succeeding.
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