Voting Population Supports Alabama Sports Betting

Fresh off another failed attempt to legalize Alabama sports betting, it is becoming clear that the sentiment among policymakers does not accurately reflect the voting population’s perspective.

A recent poll has shown that the majority of voters support the passage of sports betting in Alabama, among other forms of gambling expansion. Here are the full details, via John Sharp of Alabama.com:

“Polling has shown overwhelming support for gambling and lottery, especially the lottery. A poll taken in November 2023 by KAConsulting, LLC -- headed up by Kellyanne Conway, the campaign manager for President Donald Trump in 2016 -- showed a whopping 80 percent support for lottery and 64 percent backing for casinos. The poll consisted of 60 percent of people identifying as Republican. Alabama is one of only five states without a lottery. ‘Folks want and appreciate the right to vote,’ said Senator Andrew Jones, R-Centre, and a supporter of the 2024 measure.”

While Alabama sports betting is not mentioned specifically within the poll, voter sentiments for it and casinos tend to be inextricably tied together. If almost two-thirds of residents in The Crimson State are in favor of casino-gaming expansion and potentially commercialization, the share of support for Alabama sports gambling legalization is likely the same.

Potentially Millions of Dollars in Revenue is Being Left on the Table without Alabama Sports Betting Legalization

The most frequent argument among supporters for sports betting legislation boils down to dollars and cents. As experts are quick to note, wagering is already taking place inside Alabama despite current laws. Residents cross state lines and bet on sports in Tennessee and bet on sports in Mississippi. They also have the ability to utilize an extensive catalog of offshore betting sites that are not bound by the same rules and regulations of the United States.

It is difficult to track just how much money is being wagered by Alabamians, both online and outside of the state itself. But complete revenue projections seemingly confirm that millions of additional tax dollars are being left on the table.

Just look at sports betting in Kentucky. The Bluegrass State boasts an eerily similar analog when looking at their total population, as well the sports-team landscape both inside and nearby the market. Last year, Kentucky sports betting tax revenue cleared $38.6 million. And it is on pace to usurp that bar for the 2025 calendar.

If you adjust for the slight difference in population, projected Alabama sports betting revenue should hit $43.6 million by the second or third year of operations. Granted, this may not be a perfect calculation. The Kentucky sports betting market enjoys a pretty big boost from betting on horse races. Alabama will not have that same kind of volume.

Still, it’s unlikely horse racing accounts for more than a fraction of Kentucky sports betting profits. Even if Alabama only matches the $38.6 million in revenue against its larger population, it remains the kind of money that moves the needle.

Interest in Sports Betting isn’t Going Anywhere, But Does It Matter?

Financial benefits alone ensure the topic of Alabama sports betting isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. And with online sports betting in the United States only continuing to climb, voter sentiment isn’t likely to change, either. If it does, we will probably see an uptick in support for Alabama sports betting legalization before it experiences any sort of dip.

And yet, the inverse is true for members of the House and Representatives and Senate. As Sharp notes in his piece, after coming closer than ever to the legalization of sports betting during the last round of legislative meetings, support among policymakers measurably dipped in 2025. The root of that decline? It apparently lies with the onslaught of changes, both planned and impromptu, made to proposals. Consider this from Sharp’s article:

“Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, who was also a ‘no’ vote last year, said the changes in the gambling and lottery packages become dizzying and complicated for lawmakers, all of whom have different interests. “One of the problems you run into is that you have an agreement on certain things and then you see them change one thing on it and you get another vote and then lose someone else,” Kelley said. “It’s a tricky situation. You have everyone wanting a piece of the pie. You get 140 people in the legislature looking at this and everyone wanting something different.”

Political alignment is indeed a challenge. But the same can be said of just about every issue tackled by congress. Forty states have now figured out a way to legalize some form of sports betting. Alabama isn’t special because of division within the political ranks. It’s unique because of how hard it’s been for them to bridge the gaps required to get a deal done.

The Biggest Roadblock to Sports Betting in Alabama Remains Unclear

Singular issues have previously been identified as the downfall of Alabama sports betting attempts. That is not entirely accurate.

A bunch of different issues are driving the division. Among the most popular are the following:

Disagreements over how the money garnered from Alabama sports betting will be spent.
Whether casino commercialization is necessary or must come first to pave the way for sports betting.
The legwork involved to create a regulatory body to oversee sports betting, casinos and a state lottery.
Concerns over the impact legalized Alabama sports betting will have on problem gambling.

These are all legitimate issues. They are not the only ones, either. Until lawmakers find a compromise on all of them, at the same time, the status of sports betting in Alabama isn’t going to change.

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