Rep. Matthew Hammett, R-Hozier, votes in the Alabama House of Representatives on May 6, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. He files a bill to increase some gambling penalties. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
An Alabama lawmaker has prefiled a bill that would increase penalties for gambling-related crimes.
HB 41, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Hammett, R-Hozier, would raise the designation of some gambling crimes from misdemeanors to felonies. Promoting gambling activity; permitting or allowing gambling in a place a person controls would be a Class C felony and a Class B felony on further offenses. A crime of conspiracy to commit gambling offenses would be a Class C felony and Class B on further offenses.
“It takes it from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony, the first offense, second offense it’ll be a Class B felony,” Hammett said on Tuesday. “For example, if it’s slot machines or something like that, it’s $1,000 fine per machine. If you got over 100 scratch off tickets in the store, it’s a $2,500 fine. We’re not trying to go after the clerks, they’re selling Coca-Colas and run the cash registers. It’s after the people that own the stores or the facilities.”