A lottery bill won approval in an Alabama Senate committee today, but the sponsor was realistic about the bill's longshot changes of passing this year.

Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, proposed a constitutional amendment to allow Alabama to join multi-state lottery games like Powerball.

Under Sanford's proposal, 75 percent of the net revenue would go to the state General Fund and 25 percent to the Education Trust Fund. Sanford said it would be estimated to raise $45 million to $50 million a year.

The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee approved Sanford's bill today by a 3-2 vote, sending it to the Senate floor.

But final approval would be a heavy lift, requiring a three-fifths vote in the Senate and House to be put on the ballot for voters.

The legislative session is at least halfway over and lawmakers have said they hope to wrap up early in this election year, possibly in late March.

Also, Tourism and Marketing Committee Chairman Del Marsh, the president pro tem of the Senate, said he opposed the bill because it does not include specifics about how the lottery would be implemented.

"When the pro tem says 'I'm not for it,' that's usually kind of the writing on the wall," Sanford said.

Lottery bills are proposed and die every year. Lawmakers approved Gov Don Siegelman's lottery bill in 1999, but it was rejected by voters.

Gov. Robert Bentley called a special session to consider a lottery bill in 2016, but it did not pass. Bentley's plan would have pledged the money to the General Fund, which has faced significant shortfalls in recent years.

The budget outlook is brighter now, at least for the short term.

"I don't think everything that we do in the state ought to be under duress," said Sanford, who is not running for reelection.

Joe Godfrey, executive director of the Alabama Citizens' Action Program, which lobbies on behalf of churches and consistently opposes gambling measures, urged the committee to reject Sanford's bill.

Godfrey said lotteries suck money out of the economy because people who can ill-afford to do so spend money on lottery tickets that they would otherwise spend on other needs.

Godfrey said governments become addicted on lottery revenues and rely on deception to entice players to participate. As for the argument that Alabamians already buy lottery tickets in neighboring states, Godfrey said, "If it's in your neighborhood you're going to buy a whole lot more lottery tickets."

Voting for the bill in committee today were Sens. Sanford, Billy Beasley, D-Clayton and Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro.

Voting against it were Marsh and Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range.