One of the state’s oldest casino establishments and also Alabama’s second oldest dog track, GreeneTrack casino in Eutaw was rocked this summer. Following a recent tax bill that was higher than monthly revenue, GreeneTrack casino was closed for business for a weekend per a report from the Alabama Political Reporter. In the article, the casino was shaken by an Alabama Supreme Court opinion enforcing a 13-year-old tax assessment claiming the track owed more than $106 million in taxes and fees. Per the report, the opinion also implemented a new measure that would affect all casinos in the state by enforcing a new tax structure for electronic bingo casinos in the state.
In this report, SBS will go over the latest news coming out of the Cotton State along with some other thoughts about Alabama wagering.
According to the update article from the Alabama Political Reporter, the Alabama Department of Revenue is now at a crossroads for what will determine the future of gaming in Green County along with the rest of the state. For instance, if the Department chooses to move forward with the tax collection and tax rules allowed by the Alabama Supreme Court it would essentially force all non-Native American electronic bingo casinos to close. This is of course if it enforced those laws on all electronic bingo casinos to close. However, as the article points out, the Department could determine that the stacked taxes were unfair and choose instead to collect only overall gaming taxes against the casinos.
Also, as the article notes, the ALSC opinion only grants the Revenue Department the authority to collect taxes, it does not instruct the Department to do so. In this scenario, such a decision would allow casinos to remain operational, but it would also cost the state at least $70 million by some estimates. Moreover, this could also impact the state on a more significant level (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars), if the decision was imposed on other electronic bingo casinos.
In the report, it remains to be seen what the next move will be from the Alabama Revenue Department and one that the Department apparently doesn’t plan to answer publicly. Per the report, when asked if the Revenue Department would now determine taxes on electronic bingo casinos without allowing for the traditional sales and use exemption, the communication director for the department said he would have no further comment. However, two sources within the local Green County government told APR that officials from the Revenue Department had already visited casinos in Greene County. There they informed owners that a tax law change was likely coming because of the Supreme Court decision.
According to sources, the decision has devastated GreeneTrack and the surrounding community that depends on the casino for tax dollars and decent jobs. Moreover, it has also businesses around the state wary of potential tax issues in the future since the original text of Alabama’s tax laws is unable to be consistently relied upon.
Once you are done getting all up to speed on the latest gaming news from Alabama, SBS has your back with a ton of other great resources. For instance, one of the best places to check out regarding Cotton State updates is our sports betting in Alabama guide which goes over the latest reports coming out of the state. Additionally, we also have you covered when it comes to finding the best payment options for you with the SBS payment methods rundown page. This handy resource goes over all the ways you can make deposits and withdrawals with SBS. On a final note, if you are a customer that is always on the go then our best mobile betting sites overview is exactly what you need to never miss out on the action.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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