PCI announces awareness campaign for gaming in state
Published 3:02 pm Wednesday, November 13, 2019
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The Poarch Creek Indians announced Tuesday the formation of a public awareness campaign focused on communicating details of their comprehensive plan for gaming in Alabama, according to a release.
The plan is designed to generate billions of dollars in new revenues in the state, create thousands of new jobs an regulate and tax gaming interests, according to PCI.
Additionally, the plan includes the construction of two deluxe tourist resorts in the northern part of the state, and supports citizens’ rights to vote on gaming issues, including whether Alabama should also have a traditional lottery that other neighboring states have in place.
According to a story on AL.com, Gov. Kay Ivey was asked about the lottery plan. She said to “start it in the legislature.”
During a recent session of the legislature, Sen. Greg Albritton introduced and almost got passed a lottery bill for the state, which narrowly passed the Senate. The bill failed to get a vote in the House.
“We have long believed that the economic power of gaming should be strategically harnessed to create opportunities for everyone who lives in Alabama,” Stephanie Bryan, Poarch Tribal Chair and CEO, said in a release. “This plan does that, and we are committed to making sure that our positions on gaming and our commitment to helping improve the quality of life in Alabama are clear. “
Recently, PCI and its gaming business, PBCI Gaming, have been the subject of a public misinformation campaign funded by an anonymous group. The sole purpose of the group’s work was to misrepresent the Tribe’s position on gaming in the State, confuse the issues surrounding gaming regulation and taxation, and damage Poarch’s reputation, according to a release.
By contrast, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians made the decision to state publicly what they propose in the way of a solid, comprehensive plan for gaming in the State through a public awareness campaign that includes a gaming policy-focused website www.winningforalabama.com . The website gives citizens a platform to voice their opinions on specific gaming issues. It also provides opportunities for communities across Alabama to alert the Tribe and other State leaders about their critical needs. “We hope that the information we are making available will prompt both citizens and our State’s legislators to seriously consider a solid plan for gaming that can have real economic benefits for Alabama,” said Chairwoman Bryan. “We believe that it is important everyone in the State has access to honest information and constructive ideas so they can make the best decisions about an issue that is critically important to Alabama’s economic well-being and quality of life.”