A Republican state representative from south Alabama has introduced a bill that would increase penalties for illegal gambling operations from misdemeanors to felonies, an effort to strengthen laws that do not appear to be working.
The bill by Rep. Matthew Hammett would raise the range of sentences and fines for possession of electronic gambling machines and other offenses and impose harsher penalties for repeat violators.
Hammett worked with Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell on putting more teeth in the law after seeing convenience stores in his district selling scratch-off tickets, like those offered in states with legal lotteries. Merrell told Hammett there were limitations on how effective he could be in stopping the activities.
