Alabama Sports Betting is in 1 Person's Hands

It turns out that Alabama sports betting hopes in 2025 may come down to the work and influence of one person.

You read that correctly.

Senator Greg Albritton, a Republican who has served in the 22nd District since 2014, is the driver of a bill that seeks to legalize sports betting in Alabama. The measure also expands the parameters of casino gaming in addition to creating a state lottery. On top of that, the measure also includes pari-mutuel wagering betting and historical horse racing while adding electronic bingo to various gaming facilities around The Crimson State, such as in Birmingham and Macon County.

Whether Albritton’s initiative will be successful remains to be seen. But he is so far taking things slow. While he has the legislation ready to propose, he is reportedly waiting until he’s sure he has the 21 votes the bill needs to pass the Senate.

As of early April, the longtime senator says he’s still trying to accumulate the necessary support. This means that, quite literally, the fate of Alabama sports betting is in hands.

Senator Albritton Says Alabama Sports Betting Can Help Protect the State Against Recession

Like many other arguments for legal sports betting in the United States, Senator Albritton’s rests predominantly on the financial benefits. GeoComply estimates that Alabama sports betting will generate over $53.3 million in additional tax revenue annually by Year 3. That is, obviously, quite the chunk of change.

Still, in years past, opponents have pointed toward The Crimson State’s budget surplus as proof of their stance. Why risk the uptick in problem gambling, they argue, when Alabama doesn’t need the money? For Senator Albritton’s part, though, he says that this is no longer an issue. In fact, he wants to legalize Alabama sports betting to safeguard the state against what he deems an inevitable recession. As he explains to CBS 42 in Birmingham:

“If we don't get this done this year, I think we're gonna lose the opportunity of gaining control of this industry in Alabama. And it'll be running all over the place, and growing like crazy because we have no controls. One of those controls would be a 24 percent tax rate on all gambling in the state, and one or 2 percent tax on every sports bet. He says the industry would rake in about seven hundred and fifty million dollars. That would go to state roads and bridges and education. We're due for a recession. We're due for a decline. If we get this passed, we won't have to worry about that. It won't affect us that much. [We] will be pulling in more revenue for us so that Alabama will still be in a very strong financial condition.”

Albritton’s appeal is resonating on at least some level. Many lawmakers seem in overwhelming favor of creating an Alabama state lottery. Casino expansion and Alabama sports betting are different stories.

Why Support for Sports Betting in The Crimson State is Not a Given

Despite what is a clear demand for sports betting in Alabama among the voting population, many lawmakers worry about negative consequences of legalization. Most harp on the socioeconomic harm it can have on segments of the population. Others bring up the risk it puts on compromising competitive integrity.

The Crimson State has already needed to deal with sports betting scandals without mass legalization. Would those instances increase if Alabama online sports betting is more widely available? It is certainly possible. But Albritton (and others) argue that official regulation will offer layers of protection and resources to consumers not currently available.

Granted, there is no escaping the potential downsides. Every market with legal sports betting deals with them.

Most notably, the reports of problem gambling tend to skyrocketing following the launch of sports gambling. There is very little, if any, way around this offshoot.

Essentially, states must decide that the financial benefits outweigh the incumbent risks. The question is: Does the structure proposed by Senator Albritton accomplish this? Right now, it isn’t totally clear whether the Alabama sports betting tax rates and revenue allocation proposed by Senator Albritton appeals to enough of his contemporaries.

The Crimson State’s Sports Betting Bill May Require Amendments to Revenue Allocation

Members of the Senate have outlined, let’s say, stipulations that may help garner more support. Consider the following from CBS 42 in Birmingham:

“Senator Rodger Smitherman says he wants to see the revenue go towards medicaid expansion and rural hospitals. ‘We do have needs that are here now and that are gonna occur as we move through the transition, you know, how much grants we receive. Will we receive grants or not?’ And Senator Arhtur Orr says a comprehensive bill is hard to pass. Orr says special interest groups know a lottery will pass, and want to make sure they are included. ‘Get back to the basics and start with baby steps. And that first baby step is putting on the ballot an opportunity for the people to vote up or down on a lottery.’”

Senator Orr’s stance is one that Senator Albritton should hope everyone shares. Even if state legislators have reservations about Alabama sports betting, they may feel this decision deserves to be made by the voting population. After all, everyday Alabamans will be the consumers for this industry. It is on elected officials to look out for their best interests. It is also on those same officials to weigh the merit of public opinion.

Before Alabama sports betting can appear on an electoral ballot, though, enough Senate members must first be on board. Does directing more tax revenue toward medicaid expansion and rural hospitals help accomplish that? And if so, is Senator Albritton prepared to rework allocation figures? The Alabama state legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 15. So, one way or the other, we will find out before then.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: