Alabama Lottery Plan Failed by a Single Vote

Just five states don't take part in statewide or multistate lottery games like Powerball or Mega Millions, though some were hoping that one of those states, Alabama, might be joining the other 45 states that do take part soon. Those hopes have faded, however, after a move to put on the ballot a proposed amendment to the state's constitution to allow lotteries and some types of gambling fell short by one vote late last month in the Alabama Senate, reports AL.com. If one of the state senators who cast a "nay" changed their mind, it would have been permissible to take another vote, as the legislation had already passed the state House—but that hope has also died, at least for now, as the state's legislative session wrapped up on Thursday evening.

Per the Montgomery Advertiser, the legislation would have opened the door to a state education lottery, certain types of electronic gambling, old-fashioned raffles, and even bingo. "Tables, cards, dice, and dealers would have still been prohibited," the paper notes. The last time any type of gaming ended up before Alabama voters was when a lottery plan was placed on the ballot in 1999; it was defeated in a statewide vote, 54% to 46%. The Hill has more on Alabama and the other four states that remain sans lottery: Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. The reasons vary—in Nevada, for example, where casinos are king, the gaming industry views the lottery as competition for consumers' cash—but the Hill notes that, ultimately, "it all comes down to politics." (More lottery stories.)