Hopkins had chaired the commission since 2015. Governor Tate Reeves will now appoint his successor.
The Chairman of the Mississippi Gaming Commission – Al Hopkins – has died just shy of his 82nd birthday.
Hopkins, who was in his third term, had chaired the Gaming Commission since 2015. He was nominated for reappointment by Governor Tate Reeves last year. Following a contentious reconfirmation process in the state Senate, Hopkins was reconfirmed to a new term during the 2022 legislative session.
Governor Reeves will now appoint a new Gaming Commissioner to fill the vacancy, which will also have to be confirmed by the Senate. Reeves could tap one of the other two commissioners – Franc Lee or Tom Gresham – as the next chairman or tap his new appointee for that role.
According to his bio with the Gaming Commission, Hopkins was a former Assistant Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard and retired with the rank of Major General. During his military service, he earned multiple awards, including the Legion of Merit and the Magnolia Cross. Hopkins served 13 years as Chief Judge of the Court of Military Appeals.
Hopkins held bachelor’s degrees in English and History from Delta State University and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He also held a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from William Carey University and an Honorary Master of Laws degree in law from Mississippi College School of Law.
Hopkins founded his own law firm in 1977 and was president of ANH Enterprises, Inc. and Muddy River Farms, LLC, a farming, ranching, and land development company.
Frank Corder
