Alabama's attorney general will ask the Legislature to increase the penalty for operating illegal gambling machines.
Luther Strange said Monday that he wants the penalty to go from a misdemeanor to a felony. He said the current penalty is a slap on the wrist compared to the large amounts of money that operators make.
Strange was in Hoover on Monday to talk to legislators about their upcoming regular session, which starts Feb. 5.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Cam Ward said some lawmakers are reluctant to increase the penalty until Alabama courts issue clear guidelines on what's an illegal machine and what's not.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.