Alabama Representative Chip Brown believes legal gambling is possible, but knows there are challenges
Alabama Representative Chip Brown anticipated last week that his chamber would have the chance to pass what’s being called a comprehensive gambling bill that includes a “free-market approach” to casino gaming if it’s successful. However, it still faces an uphill battle
During his discussion with “The Jeff Poor Show” on FM Talk 106.5, State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) said that he advocates promoting the free market in the licensing procedure but was uncertain about the possibilities of any bill pushing through a blockade by special interests.
“If we were going to do casino gambling in Alabama, that would be how I prefer that it looked,” said Elliott. “But unfortunately — this is where I get back into the special interests part of this — I think the special interests, the gaming special interests that have gaming existing in Alabama right now will kill any measure to have a free-market approach to this. And I say that because I was in those negotiations when that bill was in the Senate.”
He also stated that he understands Rep. Brown’s position about a free market approach to gambling in Alabama but added, “I just think that might be, not taking into account some of the ground that’s already been plowed where we’ve tried that before. The special interests and the flying monkeys coming flying in and they don’t want that. They want to protect the industry that they’ve developed legally or illegally, and have no interest in sharing with others.”
“And that, for your listeners, is what stands in the way of you buying a lottery ticket — that right there,” he concluded.
