Representative Russell Blackshear spearheaded sports betting legislation last year, and although his companion bills passed the House, the Senate proved to be one hurdle too high. The prospects of new Alabama sports betting legislation are still uncertain at this time.
Hard Compromise
Despite Alabama being located in the middle of the Bible Belt and being one of only five states without a state lottery, there is support for sports betting and a lottery as well. However, pleasing all the people all the time is an impossible task, and even those pro-gambling forces in Alabama have different ideas as to what form and to what degree gambling should come to the Heart of Dixie.
Republican Senator Greg Albritton, chair of the Senate’s General Fund budget committee, had been a pro-gambling advocate but ultimately voted against Representative Blackshear’s sports betting last year. The bill was ultimately too stripped down, and that was a dealbreaker for Albritton.
“The problem hasn’t gone away,” Albritton said. “In fact, it is getting worse, particularly the sports gaming. It continues to grow in Alabama, and it is growing completely unregulated. We are just sitting around and watching it grow. Whether I can get the votes to get it out of the Senate to do something different, I don’t know that yet.”
Finding the Right Balance
Senator Albritton believes striking the right balance that will at least appease all the parties, even if it does not satisfy them, will be the key to bringing sports betting to Alabama.
“The question is, which cut and paste would get a vote and which one loses a vote?” said Albritton. “We have got to find the magic combination that gains us four (votes) and loses two.”
Representative Blackshear believes, as many of his fellow lawmakers do, that the Senate must lead this time around, as the upper chamber has proven much more difficult than the lower chamber at getting a gambling bill passed.
“Any gaming legislation in the 2025 session must originate in the Senate,” Blackshear said. “If the Senate does choose to take up a gaming package and they pass something and send it to the House, then and only then will we in the House engage and determine how we move forward.”
Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels echoed those sentiments at a news conference last week, stating, “We had it on our platform last time, and we pushed it out of the House; it remains in the Senate, and that is where it died. So, until the Senate decides that they want to prioritize it, we are not even going to think about it.”
External Forces
There are two external forces campaigning for their own visions of gambling in Alabama. The first is the Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama, who are banging the drum for a state lottery and are running ads that link to a Give Alabama A Voice page that states, “Tell Montgomery YOU want the chance to vote on an Alabama Lottery!”
There is also the American Gaming Association, which is running social media ads that advocate for the legalization of sports betting in Alabama.
“Legalizing online sports betting would protect people against predatory, offshore betting sites and generate tens of millions in new tax revenue. Legal online sports betting would generate between $65 and $90 million in NEW annual tax revenue for Alabama,” the Sports Betting Alliance said.
Alas, there is also a counter-campaign by the Alabama Policy Institute (API) encouraging Alabamians to vote against any and all gambling legislation through its recently created website www.bettinghurtsbama.com.
