DEVELOPING STORY: Poarch backs Keahey gaming bill

Published 6:11 pm Friday, February 5, 2010

By Staff
State Sen. Marc Keahey, D-Grove Hill, has proposed legislation that would regulate, limit and tax commercial gaming operations in Alabama.
Officials with PCI Gaming, based in Atmore, endorsed the bill Friday, saying it is fair to operators and to the state.
The bill would limit gaming to eight sites in the state — six that are already established and two to be determined. The bill would also establish a state gaming commission and require gaming facilities to be a "destination" operation, investing more than $1,000,000 to be considered legitimate. Half of the investment would have to be spent in non-gaming areas such as hotels and restaurants.
For more details about the legislation and PCI's response to the ongoing gaming controversy in Alabama, see Saturday's edition of The Brewton Standard.