(The Center Square) – According to a recent poll, 80% of Alabama Republican voters oppose legalized gambling through online devices.
The poll also shows that opposition to legalized gaming might be softening as a smaller majority (44%) don’t want an expansion of gambling in the state.
The poll of 977 statewide voters by the conservative Alabama Policy Institute found that only 7% of voters surveyed listed legalized gambling as a priority for the upcoming legislative session. The economy/jobs were first at 55%, followed by health care (18%), protecting children (12%) and education (7%).
Voters were also asked if they were concerned about the rise in gambling addiction (43% were), whether they supported having sports gambling on smartphones (68% were opposed) and whether they would want a casino located near their home (64% opposed).
Increasing penalties for illegal gambling was supported by 52% of respondents while 61% said they’d oppose expanded gaming if it increased crime.
Not surprisingly, 80% of GOP primary voters oppose the expansion of gambling if it leads to increased domestic violence and child trafficking (80%), diverted money from small businesses (70%) and increased drug addiction and mental illness (80%).
Alabama’s Constitution bans lotteries and other “games of chance,” but the Poarch Band of Creek Indians has three casinos statewide on tribal lands and some localities allow greyhound tracks.
The Alabama Policy Institute released a report in December that said that the costs of legalized gambling were not in the best interests of the state, citing gambling addiction, increased crime and corruption as some of the downsides.
The report was in response to a 2020 report released by Gov. Kay Ivey’s administration that estimates Alabama could earn between $200 million to $300 million in revenue from a lottery, $300 million to $400 million from casinos and $10 million from sports gambling.
That tracks with neighboring Mississippi, which has a lottery and casino gambling. In fiscal 2023, which ended on June 30, the Magnolia State took in $298.5 million, with $100 million going to local governments and $162 million going to the state’s General Fund. The year before, the state earned $310 million in gaming taxes.
In fiscal 2023, the Mississippi Lottery had more than $467 million in sales and contributed $122 million to state coffers.