Alabama Sen. Del Marsh Faces a Lawsuit over Gambling Bill

A lawsuit accusing Sen. Del Marsh of bribery and receiving money from Poarch Band of Creek Indians, related to his gambling bill, was filed on Monday. 

Sen. Del Marsh and Poarch Band of Creek Indians Deny All Accusations 

According to the accusations, Senate Bill 2014, proposed and sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, would create an illegal monopoly. If the bill passes, it would set up a lottery and allow gambling on 5 locations, 4 of which are currently operational.

The senator said that he had the necessary votes for the gambling legislation to head towards the House. He stated that he had worked with House members to create something acceptable for the people and the government. Marsh said that it was high time to control the state’s ongoing gambling and benefit from it. The bill aims to liberalize gambling and sports betting in Alabama.

Discussions of the bill continue as Marsh is willing to add two more casinos and allowing a gaming commission to choose their location. The Senate would review the bill on Tuesday. 

Director of governmental affairs and public relations, Robert McGhee, said that some people want to attack the senator and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which is unfortunate. He also said that the allegations are not real and even called them “nonsense.”

Opposition Accuses Marsh of Participation in “Pay to Play” Scheme 

OIC Dream County, INC, OIC Dream Greene County, and Age with Dignity, Inc. are the plaintiffs, accusing Sen. Del Marsh of receiving money from a “pay to play” scheme. The senator denied the accusations over a phone interview on Monday. He stated that this is a lie and he would never ask anyone to cast a bribed vote.

According to the opposition, the proposal leaves out some local communities. Small gambling operators and other gaming establishments want inclusion in the bill and are fighting for it. According to Marsh, the number of gaming establishments should be finite even though there are more than 5 gambling operators in Alabama. Many are concerned about the impact of this bill on the communities.

The plaintiffs’ representative, Attorney Thomas Gallion, said that his clients receive their funds legally. He stated that the bill would block them because it would create a monopoly primarily benefiting the Poarch Creek Indians. He said that his plaintiffs want the proposal to be “declared a restraint of trade.”