Alabama Introduces Bill for Tougher Penalties on Illegal Gambling

A new bill introduced in Alabama seeks to impose stricter penalties for illegal gambling, raising the severity of the offenses from misdemeanors to felonies. The proposed legislation HB41, was introduced by Republican state representative Matthew Hammett and is designed to strengthen the state’s laws on illegal gambling, which many agree are currently ineffective. By raising the stakes for violators, the bill aims to curb illegal gambling operations across the state, targeting repeat offenders with harsher punishments.

Proposed Changes to Gambling Laws

Currently, Alabama’s laws on illegal gambling classify the offense as a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and fines up to $6,000. Under Rep. Hammett’s proposed bill, these penalties would be significantly increased. Promoting gambling would be reclassified as a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching as high as $15,000.

For repeat offenders, the consequences would escalate further, with a second offense being upgraded to a Class B felony, leading to prison sentences of up to 20 years and fines up to $30,000.

The bill specifically targets electronic gambling machines, which have been found in convenience stores and other venues around the state. Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell, who collaborated with Hammett on the bill, emphasized the need for tougher penalties after seeing firsthand the limitations of current laws. “He said, ‘Look, I can’t do anything but just slap them on the wrist.’ And I said, ‘What can we do?’ So, that’s how we came up with it,” Hammett explained.

A Persistent Problem

Alabama has long struggled with illegal gambling despite ongoing enforcement efforts by state officials. One example of this ongoing issue is in Jefferson County, where electronic gambling halls continue to operate despite numerous attempts by law enforcement to shut them down. Attorney General Steve Marshall has been actively combating these illegal activities, but as Merrell pointed out, current penalties often fail to act as an effective deterrent.

Merrell also noted the complexities involved in prosecuting illegal gambling cases. “You’ve got this store clerk that is getting paid $10 an hour to be in there selling Co-Colas and candy bars,” Merrell said. “Are we really going to prosecute them when the owner is the one profiting from it?” This difficulty, combined with the relatively light punishments, has made it challenging for law enforcement to make lasting progress against illegal gambling operations.

The bill would also redefine what constitutes an illegal gambling machine, with the inclusion of historical horse racing machines, which operate similarly to slot machines. These machines are currently in use at several greyhound tracks in Alabama, but Hammett clarified that his bill is not intended to target those operations. “That’s not the people we’re going after,” Hammett said. “If they’re going to have those type machines, that’s the place to have them, at the tracks, dog tracks, horse tracks. That is not the intent of the bill.”

Legal and Social Considerations

While the bill focuses on cracking down on illegal gambling, it has sparked broader discussions about the role of a state lottery and casino gambling ed the Alabama House but failed in the Senate. Hammett, who opposed that proposal, noted that regardless of one’s stance on legal gambling, there is widespread agreement that illegal gambling is a significant issue. “Whatever side you were on with the gambling bills last session, whether you were yes or no, everybody agreed there’s a problem in this state with illegal gambling,” Hammett stated.

Merrell, for his part, is strongly opposed to all forms of gambling, both legal and illegal. “The statistics are very clear that be it illegal or legalized, gambling hurts local economies, increases poverty, increases addiction, increases crime,” he said. Nevertheless, the focus of HB41 remains squarely on combating illegal gambling, with the goal of reducing the prevalence of such activities through tougher enforcement and stiffer penalties.

Hammett, who operates a business drilling and servicing water wells, has pre-filed HB41 for the legislative session starting February 5. He plans to meet with fellow Republican lawmakers to discuss the bill’s potential impact and garner . While it remains to be seen whether the bill will , it signals Alabama’s continued commitment to addressing the issue of illegal gambling head-on.

Source:

House Bill 41 [pdf], Alabama Legislature.