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Alabama casino and sports betting bill passes Senate

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Senate Bill 310, which would legalize sports betting and land-based casino style games within the state of Alabama, has passed through the state’s Senate by a vote of 27-4.

The bill – which will now move to the House – would permit casino games including slot machines, historical horse racing machines, video lottery terminals and table games such as poker, baccarat, roulette and blackjack at one of six locations in the state. These six locations are in the counties of DeKalb, Jackson , Macon, Greene, Houston  and Mobile.

The bill also includes the formation of the Alabama Gaming Commission, which would oversee regulation of the new laws.

Licenses will be awarded by the newly founded Commission, and they will range between $5m and $35m, depending on location, for casino games and sports wagering. DeKalb and Jackson, both in the northeast of the state, have the highest license fees.

Any online betting platform would require a management service licence, with casino and sports betting licensees entitled to up to three skins operated by management service license holders.

A license will last for 10 years, with the option to extend to 30 years should the license holder demonstrate “a completed capital investment in the covered location that is 10 or more times greater than the initial license fee”.

The Commission will also collect 27% tax on slots, a 35% tax on other casino gaming revenue, and 20% of sports betting revenue every month.

A different bill to legalize sports betting in Alabama was introduced in the state House in January, but never saw the floor.