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Committee hears pros and cons of Alabama lotteryNews Story
Update: Committee approves both bills, sends to full Senate Bills to call for a constitutional amendment to establish a state lottery were debated this morning in an Alabama Senate committee. The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee held a public hearing on the second day of the special legislative session. The committee plans to meet again this afternoon and take votes on the bills. At the public hearing, several people spoke in opposition to a lottery and other forms of gambling,
Aug 16, 2016, 5:06 pm - Lottery News

Alabama lawmakers weigh in on lotteryNews Story
Several Montgomery-area lawmakers say they could support letting Alabamians decide whether the state has a lottery, and whether Powerball and Mega Millions tickets are sold locally. But they say they're unlikely to support any effort to allow electronic games at several sites around the state. The Legislature returns to the Statehouse on Monday to debate lottery legislation and likely other possible revenue fixes for the state. More money for the state Medicaid Agency in 2017 is a priority
Aug 14, 2016, 9:03 am - Lottery News

Alabama lottery plan could face uphill battleNews Story
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, who said a year ago that lotteries were as old-fashioned as leisure suits, now says they are the best remaining option to boost funding for important state programs, especially Medicaid. State lawmakers return to Montgomery on Monday for a special session to consider the governor's proposal for a lottery to raise money for the state budget. Previously, Bentley has said he did not oppose a lottery proposal going on the ballot for voters, but was not a proponent
Aug 13, 2016, 9:17 am - Lottery News

Alabama senator introduces competing lottery proposalNews Story
Alabama Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, laid out a competing proposal Tuesday to Gov. Robert Bentley's plan to institute a statewide lottery as a means to addressing Alabama's budget shortfall. McClendon is still working on the details of the bill so he did not have a copy available. His plan expands on Bentley's by allowing for electronic lottery terminals devices similar to slot machines to be installed in Birmingham, Mobile, and Greene and Macon Counties. The terminals would raise $127
Aug 9, 2016, 4:14 pm - Lottery News

Alabama Gov. releases legislation for lotteryNews Story
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has released the legislation for his proposed lottery to support the state budget. The three-page bill, a proposed constitutional amendment, says lottery proceeds would go to the state General Fund. A copy of the bill is linked in the Related Links section below. It also calls for the establishment of a lottery commission to run the lottery. The commission would have seven members. They would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The
Aug 8, 2016, 8:15 am - Lottery News

New York Governor signs bill to allow daily fantasy sportsNews Story
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law Wednesday to allow the resumption of daily fantasy sports in New York. The measure calls the popular online contests a game of skill. That legal definition resolves the central argument in a lawsuit brought against the country's two top fantasy-sports companies by the state attorney general. He had likened the online matches to illegal gambling operations based on chance. This legislation strikes the right balance that allows this activity to conti
Aug 4, 2016, 8:56 am - Lottery News

Online lottery sales not approved by Massachusetts lawmakersNews Story
Massachusetts lottery players are going to have to wait a little bit longer if they want to buy lottery tickets online. In their most recent economic development bill passed Sunday, Massachusetts legislators chose not to authorize the state lottery to begin online gaming. Lawmakers said that they wanted to address other priorities. Those included $500 million in funding for MassWorks infrastructure, and $45 million for new equipment in career and technical education. A new tax deduction to
Aug 2, 2016, 3:40 pm - Lottery News

Alabama may try lottery vote in special sessionNews Story
According to Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, Alabama lawmakers are being polled in regard to their support for legislation establishing a lottery ahead of a presumed special session. Gov. Robert Bentley said last week he's considering a special session to tackle budget issues, such as the lingering $85 million gap in the state's Medicaid program. Lawmakers funded up to $700 million for Medicaid, which requires at least $785 million to operate. A special session would be called
Jul 25, 2016, 12:08 pm - Lottery News

Alabama lawmaker pushing for lottery vote on Nov. ballotNews Story
A lottery vote in Alabama in November? One lawmaker says he wants that to be a reality. Several lottery bills didn't make it to a vote this past legislative session. Governor Robert Bentley says a special session is possible this fall, to deal with funding issues with Medicaid. But one senator, Jim McClendon of Montgomery, says he wants to use that session to pass a lottery bill. McClendon says he hasn't released any copies of the bill, but says if the session is called in time, he c
Jul 21, 2016, 8:39 am - Lottery News

Pennsylvania lottery winners now subject to state tax on prizesNews Story
By Todd Northrop The small number of states that don't tax lottery prizes has just shrunk by one state. Pennsylvania lawmakers approved levying new taxes Wednesday on a variety of different things including lottery prizes to help support the $31.5 billion state budget that went into effect earlier this week. The tax bill was approved by a 116-75 vote in the House and 28-22 vote in the Senate. Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf quickly signed the tax bill and related bills to complete the budget pro
Jul 20, 2016, 10:43 am - Lottery News