A plan to authorize an Alabama lottery and 10 casinos fell one vote short in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday night.

The two bills passed the House of Representatives earlier Tuesday night, moving them one step from approval and going to Alabama voters for the final say in a special election on Aug. 20.

The constitutional amendment, HB151, needed 21 votes to pass the 35-member Senate. But the vote was 20-15 in favor of the bill.

Immediately after the vote, the Senate voted to carry over the bill. It was not clear what would happen next.

The Senate took a long recess shortly after the House passed the bills early Tuesday evening. Senators returned at about 10 p.m., and began discussing the legislation about 20 minutes later.

A defeat of the bill would mark a disappointment for those who wanted to give voters a chance to have their say on a lottery and other state-regulated gambling. Lottery bills are proposed every year. But Alabama voters last had their say on a lottery in 1999.

This year’s proposal has come far closer to passing than most.

An ad hoc committee of lawmakers appointed by House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter spent more than a year developing the plan.

Seven of the casinos would offer slot machines and other electronic games of chance but no table games that use cards, dice, or a dealer. The other three casinos would be full-scale casinos on tribal lands operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Atmore, Wetumpka, and Montgomery under a compact negotiated with the governor.

HB151 says net revenue from the lottery would be used for educational purposes. It could be include an Alabama lottery as well as multi-state lottery games and scratch-off games.

The plan does not authorize sports betting, which was part of the package the House approved back in February.

Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, who has handled the legislation in the Senate, moved to concur with, or give final approval to, HB151.

Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, was the first to speak on the legislation and said he would oppose it. Roberts said he believed it would hurt poor people and those who can least afford to spend money on lottery tickets.

“This is selling hope $3 at a time,” Roberts said.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, followed Roberts and urged the Senate to have more discussion and an explanation of what is in the bills. Singleton was one of three senators on a conference committee that approved the plan earlier Tuesday. He said it was not perfect but said he supported sending it to the voters.

Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, another member of the conference committee, was the next to speak. Gudger began going over some of the details of the HB151, the constitutional amendment, including how it would repeal 17 local constitutional amendments that allow amendments in counties.

Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, said he would vote against the bill.

This story will be updated.