State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) said tougher penalties should be in place against operators of illegal gambling if lawmakers want to prevent it from taking place in Alabama. Despite the nearly successful attempt to authorize certain forms of legal gambling while cracking down on illegal operations during the 2024 state legislative session — illegal gambling operations remain widespread.

Givhan discussed the issue Thursday on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show.”

“I think we’re going to have to make a felony to stop anything,” Givhan argued. “Because what my understanding is is they can put these illegal machines in which they do all over the place, and they put them in, and they pay for themselves in very short period of time. I don’t remember what that time period is, but there’s nothing else that I know that you can buy, that you can pay for itself that quickly.”

Givhan said many of the illegal gambling operators are willing to take the risk because of how the current laws have no real teeth.

“It’s just, no pun intended, a gamble to them,” he said. “They put them out there. Yes, some may get snagged on day one before they pay for themselves, but they’re going to have others that rock and roll for a while, and they’re just going to print cash. So they take a chance, and because there’s not a felony involved, they don’t lose their right, well, necessarily lose the right to vote depending on what it is. But, you know, there are lots of things that come with being a felon, including more jail time.”

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He also reiterated that, despite his personal opposition to it, most Alabamians want some kind of lottery and aren’t concerned with legalized casino gambling.

“My position has been clear for a long time,” he explained. “I think it’s poor public policy. You’re advertising mostly to poor people or middle class people of dreams of riches. You’re advertising for the them to fund the government by spending their money. And I think that’s terrible way to do business. But again, it’s a overwhelmingly supportive thing, and that’s what I have people come up and ask me for. ‘Why do I have to go to Tennessee to buy my lottery tickets?’”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee