Alabama lawmaker working to revitalize gambling in Greene County

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — According to state Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, Greene County has legally offered parimutuel betting since 1973. That is because of a local constitutional amendment that was passed years ago.

Now, Singleton wants to update that statute. He said he hopes to bring more revenue into the county.

“If all the lights go out in Greene County on gaming, these are the only lights that can be on if you can picture that,” Singleton said.

Those lights are in the form of parimutuel betting, and Singleton wants to make sure they don’t turn off. His bill would allow for historical horse racing at two venues in Greene County. Regardless of a statewide gambling bill passing, he said this is needed to keep revenue coming.

“The big bill itself, had it passed, it probably would’ve outlawed all other gaming in the state,” Singleton said. “So because it didn’t pass, this is still alive. So we’re just trying to keep it alive as long as we can.”

State Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, has tried to keep gambling alive in the state and regulate with his comprehensive package in 2025. It would have brought a lottery and legalized sports betting in the state. He said he doesn’t have the support needed for it to pass, and there will only be more bills like Singleton’s as a result.

“This is going to allow sports gaming to come in completely unregulated and uncontrolled,” Albritton said. “It’s going to allow more of these entities to spring up and become legal through these local constitutional amendments.”

Albritton said those local amendments make it complicated for the state to get a handle on gambling.

“More and more opportunities for more and more local [constitutional amendments] for more and more gambling to occur in more and more places without the state controlling it or benefitting from it,” Albritton said.

Until that day comes, Singleton hopes his bill will help pay for education, hospitals and other city projects in Greene County.

“With this bill, it’ll give us an opportunity to bring that revenue back up, so that we can be able to do more cost sharing with more entities in the county,” Singleton said. “It’s going to do a great deal for this county. We’re just trying to do something to keep it alive.”

Singleton’s bill will be taken up in committee for the second time in the House. Albritton said without regulation, gambling will only continue to grow.