Senator Greg Albritton Paints Bleak Picture for Alabama Sports Betting Legalization

Another Alabama sports betting bill has officially bitten the dust, ending any chance of legalization this year. But if you ask Senator Greg Albritton, a key supporter of the initiative and sports betting in general, this isn’t just a temporary failure. It is a sign that sports betting in Alabama will remain illegal for the next two decades or more. 

“We’ve been struggling with this for 25 to 26 years already,” Albritton said shortly after the latest initiative was shot down (via AL.com). “I don’t see anything changing. We’ve tried everything we can on this bill over the years. One thing has been proven is that it doesn’t matter what the bill says, period. If the word ‘gaming’ or ‘gambling’ shows up on the page, it’s a ‘no’ vote.”

Albritton’s comments will come as a bummer to those in The Crimson State holding out hope for sports betting. Indeed, Alabama’s repeated attempts to legalize sports wagering were initially seen as a positive sign. 

Measures keep on failing, but they are at least being discussed at all. Not all of the 11 remaining holdout states are doing the same. Heck, even the push for sports betting in California has cooled off over the past three years, with no follow-up initiative appearing on the most recent electoral ballot.

Apparently, though, the recurring failures to pass Alabama sports betting legislation say more about the lack of support for legalized gambling than anything else. The question now becomes: How long will it take that overarching stance to change, if it changes at all?

Alabama Sports Is Not The Only Form Of Gambling Widely Opposed

To be sure, this is not simply a matter of sports betting lacking support among Alabama policymakers. Senator Albritton’s latest proposal seeks to create a state lottery and expand casino gaming laws, too. Here is John Sharp of AL.com with the full details:

“Albritton’s bill that spelled out the latest gambling plan was at 141 pages, and included some similarities that have been dangled before: a state lottery, electronic gambling at six sites that include former greyhound tracks and existing bingo halls, sports wagering, and a negotiated compact or revenue-sharing agreement with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to allow full-scale casinos with table games at the tribe’s three existing electronic bingo halls in Alabama.”

The downfall of yet another measure is predominantly being met with enthusiasm throughout congress. And yet, there does not appear to be a singular driving force behind that satisfaction.

Some lawmakers simply insist that The Crimson State has more important matters to tackle. These issues include “adopting regulations on hemp-based products, consideration of a new health plan for the Alabama Farmers Federation, and regulations on pharmacy benefit managers.” 

Others, meanwhile, have cited poor timing. They do not believe there is enough time left in 2025 legislation meetings to get a deal done. That reasoning, in particular, rings hollow. Alabama sports betting has remained on the table ever since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection act back in 2018. Has there really not been time to take a deeper look at sports betting over the past seven years? 

Beyond that, Senator Albritton’s initiative is not a last-minute inclusion. It has existed in various forms over the years, and earlier committees looked at it to open up legislature conversations. 

The Sports Betting Issue Is Not Going Anywhere Anytime Soon

Despite Albritton’s assertion that legal Alabama sports betting is dead, the topic won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. 

For starters, the popularity of online sports betting in the United States remains on a meteoric rise. With so much money on the table, someone will always be advocating for its legalization. Perhaps Senator Albritton is ready to relent on his own efforts. Another lawmaker will replace him. And it will likely happen next year. 

Whether another policymaker has more success in this arena is, of course, debatable. Even if you remove the bigger priorities from the equation, many state officials flat-out believe the gambling industry does more damage than anything. They especially point to data that proves legal sports betting leads to an increase in reported problem gambling. 

Still, this is a dilemma every market in the United States faces. Most have wound up legalizing some form of sports betting anyway. Supporters argue a regulated market offers a safer experience than offshore alternatives. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention, again, the amount of money at stake.

Alabama Sports Betting Market Is Reportedly Worth Tens Of Millions Of Dollars

Take the prospective Alabama sports betting market as an example. The Crimson State is not densely populated. They barely rank in the top 25. And yet, a recent GeoComply study estimates that sports betting in Alabama will generate over $53 million in tax revenue by Year 3 of operations. 

That is a lot of money. It doesn’t matter if the state’s budget remains in a surplus. (Related: The discussion around hemp products suggests that surplus isn’t especially big, if still intact.) Most states will find it hard to resist that type of additional windfall for too long.

If we had to guess, Alabama will be no different. Sports betting will eventually come to The Crimson State. Whether it’s two years, five years, 10 years, or even two decades, we would be shocked if Alabama never joins the growing throng of places with sports betting legislation.

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