Even though Mobile, the first city of Alabama, has had a rich history of pirates, houses of ill repute, Mardi Gras celebrations, and gambling dens of inequity, most sinful activities in the state have been effectively suppressed in modern times. One major exception was the illegal enterprises of Phoenix City, which during and after World War II catered to a clientele made up mostly of soldiers from nearby Fort Benning. A major cleanup was instituted in the 1950s by state attorney general John Patterson. Patterson was propelled into the crackdown activity after his father, a candidate for attorney general at the time, was murdered by local mobsters who were running the town. In 1954 John Patterson was elected in place of his father.
Gambling activity resurfaced in the 1980s; however, it now operated on a legal basis—for the most part. Charitable games were permitted under the control of local governments, and the state also authorized the establishment of dog- and horse-race betting. The largest track in the state opened near Birmingham, and it pioneered an unusual event. The track featured both dog and horse racing on the same day and on the same card. The experiment with racing was not overly successful, as it was initiated just a few years before the state of Mississippi authorized commercial casino gambling as well as Native American casino gambling. Several of these facilities were near the Alabama border. Also, two other states bordering Alabama—Florida and Georgia—started very active lottery games that drew players from Alabama. The Alabama Porch Creek tribe of Native Americans led by Eddie Tullis reacted to the new gambling ventures by creating two large bingo halls and by seeking a compact for casino games. State officials refused to negotiate a casino compact, but the tribe began using gambling machines anyway.
As the twentieth century ended, the legislature gave serious consideration to legalizing new forms of gambling, including table games, and machine gambling for racetracks. There are now four dog tracks in existence, as Birmingham closed its horse-race activities. The legislature was able to authorize a public vote on the question of having a state lottery. In 1998, the governor was elected on a platform that included the lottery proposal. In October 1999, however, the voters of the state shocked not only Alabama but also the whole nation when they said no to the lottery by a vote of 54.3 percent to 45.7 percent. The lottery proposal was designed to duplicate the Georgia experience in that it designated revenues for a plan of free college scholarships for Alabama high school graduates with good records. With the negative vote, Alabama became only the second state (the other being North Dakota) to receive a negative vote on a state-operated lottery proposal.
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