A lack of House support has doomed Alabama gambling legalization efforts in past years. In the state’s 2024 legislative session, however, it’s expected that a bill to legalize commercial casino gaming, mobile sports betting, and lottery games will originate from the House. 

Nathaniel Ledbetter, Alabama’s Speaker of the House, told the Alabama Political Reporter he plans to introduce a gambling bill in 2024. Ledbetter is motivated by a desire to reduce the amount of illegal gambling taking place in the state. 

“We just can’t let this go on any longer,” Ledbetter said. “It’s a public safety issue. People want to push back against this as saying we’re expanding gambling, but that’s absolutely not the case. If we pass this legislation and put in place serious enforcement and regulations, we’ll go from more than a thousand gambling outfits to just around 10 – 10 that are well regulated and licensed.” 

Alabama is one of just five states without a state lottery. The state currently allows for legal gambling at parimutuel dog and horse racing tracks and three casino facilities operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. There is no legal sports betting of any kind in Alabama, and mobile casino apps are illegal. 

Illegal gambling a driving force

Greg Albritton, a state senator who has pushed for gambling expansion in the past, told US Bets he thinks some legislators are beginning to come around on the idea that Alabama could use gambling regulation. He’s not sure, however, if the 2024 effort will prove successful.

“I think there’s an overall recognition that Alabama is the wild west when it comes to this,” Albritton said. “There’s very little control at all on any of it, and it continues to grow, it continues to expand. I think there’s a growing acknowledgement that we can’t just let this continue in the way it’s going. I just don’t know that we have a good clear consensus on how to resolve it.”

Ledbetter shared similar thoughts with the Alabama Political Reporter, stressing the importance of creating a regulated industry to reduce illegal gambling activity in Alabama. Rep. Andy Whitt told WHNT News 19 he feels the same way after visiting illegal gambling facilities across the state. 

“To say Alabama has had a long and complicated history with gambling is a true understatement,” Whitt said. “Gambling and illegal gaming has plagued the state for decades. There is no consistency across our 67 counties.”

Comprehensive bill

There’s an understanding among legislators that the House is the key to successful gambling expansion in Alabama. Albritton says senators like him are working behind the scenes to try to create buy-in among members of the House. 

“We’re trying to work with the House to allow them to get ahead of this in a way that they’re willing to do so that we can get a vote on it,” Albritton said. “We’re still working on that.”

As for the bill itself, Albritton feels strongly it needs to be comprehensive. He doesn’t want regulated casinos, the lottery, and sports betting being separated in varying legislative efforts.

“We can’t do this piecemeal, we’ve got to do it whole hog,” Albritton said. “Too many hands in the pie. Too many facilities fighting one another. If we can’t get it done completely, we’re not gonna get any part of it done.”

The state’s legislative session begins on Feb. 6, although bills can be filed before the start of the session. Nothing has been filed yet, and voters would ultimately need to approve gambling expansion in the state.

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