When a Republican state politician has government control of private industry as a guiding principle for legislation, conservatives should really pay attention.
Look at the areas where the government has the most control. How’s that going for Alabama? Public education? Nailed it. Medicaid? Perfect. Alcoholic beverages? Controlled. Have you seen how well things are going in the state-run cannabis cartel? Winners of a popularity contest who put their trust in bureaucrats to control sectors of the economy don’t exactly inspire confidence.
At some point, voters need to ask themselves who the gambling laws protect and what they’re protecting them from. I absolutely understand the harms of gambling addiction, but the problem is the addictive behavior rather than the form of entertainment. For example, I love Alabama football. If I started to steal and sell equipment from the office to buy tickets, I would have a serious problem. Nobody would argue that the Crimson Tide should face more government scrutiny.