Rose
Hudson, President of Louisiana Lottery Corporation, fired a warning that the
Alabama Advisory Council on Gambling not to define lottery too narrowly in
legislation. Which is expected to be
filed before the 2017 legislative session.
That advice seemed to resonate with some
members of the council, especially Representative Connie Rowe.
“It is very interesting to me that the future
of the game of lottery operated by the state may evolve to the point where it
needs to be electronically generated,” Rowe said.
When lottery was taken in account this year,
Rowe attached an amendment on the proposed constitutional amendment, that would
prohibit the games in any form other than traditional paper bingo.
That amendment got disapproved in the Senate,
when supporters of expanded gaming at greyhound tracks refused to back the
measure.
“I don’t personally feel like the people in my district who supported a lottery,
supported a lottery in the form of games that’s like a slot machine,”.
However, Rose admits that playing lottery
solely on paper may not be in the best interest of Alabama assuming it approves
a lottery.
The Council was
authorized by Governor Bentley to study gambling issues in Alabama. Only pari-mutuel wagering and charity bingo
not played on machines are legal in Alabama.