Yes, there is, which is why we’ve written this in-depth betting guide to Alabama. Despite the state still actively banning sports betting, there’s a handy workaround for in-state bettors wanting to get action. Keep on reading and we’ll explain everything in depth — and we mean everything!
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Quick Alabama Facts
State | Alabama |
---|---|
⚖️ Sports Betting Laws | ❌Not Available |
👫 Population | 5 Million |
👶 Minimum Gambling Age | 21 Years Old |
🏙️ Retail Sports Betting | ❌Not Available |
🌐 Online Sports Betting | ❌Not Available |
📱 Mobile Sports Betting | ❌Not Available |
🐎 Online Horse Betting | ❌Not Available |
🏆 DFS | ✅ Available |
Is Sports Betting Legal In Alabama?
No, sports betting is not legal in Alabama. It is one of 12 states in the United States without legal betting. The question is, will they change anytime soon?
Honestly, we have our doubts. The South, in general, remains the region of the country most against legalized sports betting. The ultra-conservative region has strong values we suppose, and isn’t budging on betting.
To be fair, Alabama has tried to pass betting on multiple occasions. All have failed, but the 2024 attempt was spectacular in a sense. Sports betting was part of a bill to get multiple forms of gambling inside the state, including casino and lottery. The bill advanced with the lottery legalization kept in, but the sports betting provisions were taken out. That tells you where things stand.
Still, this doesn’t mean Alabama bettors are out of luck. No, no, in fact, the offshore betting market has thrived in Alabama since it’s the easiest way to bet sports online. These apps work perfectly fine inside the state because they’re based outside the country, thus don’t have to abide by Alabama or U.S. regulations. Keep on reading because we’re about to name-drop our favorite offshore bookies!
Latest Alabama Legal Betting Updates
Dec 17, 2024 08:48 AM
A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit in Alabama filed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, challenging the construction of a casino by another tribe on land they claim is historic and sacred.
Alabama Sports Betting Timeline
An extensive look at the history of sports betting legislation in the great state of Alabama.
Best Sportsbooks In Each Category In Alabama
Best overall | |
---|---|
Best bonuses | |
Most unique bonuses | BetNow |
Top VIP program | MyBookie |
Best reputation | Bovada |
Best sportsbook | BetOnline |
Best casino | Everygame |
Best mobile app | XBet |
Best for new players | Bovada |
Best for high rollers | |
Best up-and-coming sportsbook | XBet |
Top 7 Alabama Sports Betting Sites
A bevy of options exist in the Alabama betting market. Maybe too many for some bettors who can feel overwhelmed with so many choices. This is where we come in — we’ve hand-picked our best Alabama betting sites. Here are seven that made our short list and why:
- BetUS - Lucrative free-play promotions for all.
- Bovada - User-friendly interface and reliable mobile betting experience.
- XBet - Top-notch mobile playing experience.
- BetOnline - Competitive odds and early line releases.
- BetNow - Unique promotional bonuses for all types of players.
- Everygame - Long-standing reputation and multi-language support for international bettors.
- MyBookie - Leading VIP rewards program for repeat betting.
#1 BetUS
#2 Bovada
#3 XBet
#4 BetOnline
#5 BetNow
#6 Everygame
#7 MyBookie
Where Are Sportsbooks Like Fanduel, DraftKings, Caesars?
Not here. Seriously, they’re not allowed to operate in Alabama until sports betting gets officially legalized (big if at this point). None of those popular platforms allow bettors to wager from their apps. Give it a try and they’ll be geo-blocked on the spot. No, not even a VPN is good enough to overcome that either.
This leaves offshore betting apps as the sole option for Alabama bettors if they want to wager online. Well, they could find a local, in-person bookie. Honestly though, that’s probably the sketchiest thing you can do. Unless something changes legal-wise, offshore betting remains the best route if inside the state.
Latest Alabama Betting News
Betting On Politics, Esports, Entertainment In Alabama
We referenced this earlier, but it’s so important that it needs its own section. Only offshore betting sites offer wagers on politics (both U.S. and international), entertainment, esports, WWE, and other things in the “nonsport” category. Offering more betting markets is a serious leg up that offshore sites have over licensed apps.
See, licensed apps like BetMGM or ESPN Bet, are not legally allowed to offer these types of wagers. State regulars across the board disallow this. The rule is only “real” sports can be wagered on. That’s another rule that likely won’t be changing anytime soon too.
Betting Apps In Alabama
We have a separate guide to Alabama betting apps. It has the depth of this guide but hyper-focused on the mobile betting scene of Alabama. It’s a beefy topic that needed its own guide. But spoiler alert: some of the sites you saw on this page will also be found there. That’s by design though. If you want to be among the best of the best, you need an app that excels.
Start Betting In Alabama Today — Our Guides
It’s not enough to just bet if you’re an Alabama resident. No, you actually want to win at the damn thing. But how? Welp, research, luck, and more research. We can’t help you in the luck department, but we can at research. Check out some handy, must-read guides on what it takes to be a successful bettor:
- Top Betting Tips — want to make money wagering? Start here then!
- Best Sports Betting Strategies — this guide will help you think more strategically about how to bet on sports!
- How Do Odds Work — self-explanatory here, learn everything there is to know about understanding betting lines.
- Types of Sports Bets — a complete explainer to the various types of sports bets.
- Betting Odds Calculator — calculate how much money a bet or parlay pays out right here.
Payment Methods Available For Alabama Sportsbooks
You can’t bet at Alabama betting sites without first depositing money. The thing is bookmakers know this and have purposely made it dead-simple to fund your account. That starts by offering many payment methods on-site. Here are the most common ones, plus guides on how to use them:
- VISA — the co-most popular card accepted on betting sites.
- Mastercard — the other co-most popular card across the betting landscape.
- Bitcoin — the payment method that'll earn you the most free play.
- Bank wire — the tried-and-true payment method.
Alabama Casinos And Resorts
There are only a few casinos in Alabama, with electronic bingo machines and greyhound simulcast wagering offerings.
Casino | City | Phone | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Victoryland | Shorter | 1 334-727-0540 | Racino (greyhound) |
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Atmore | Atmore | 1 866-946-3360 | Native American |
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Montgomery | Montgomery | 1 866-946-3360 | Native American |
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka | Wetumpka | 1 866-946-3360 | Native American |
History Of Alabama Legalization Efforts
Alabama has not yet been able to pass regulations around sports betting but it has tried on more than one occasion. Here's what's happened over the last few years:
Several Bills Failed to Grab Traction
In every year since 2018, when federal law changed to allow states to legalize sports betting, someone in the Alabama legislature has introduced a bill to do just that. However, none of them have gained much footing.
In 2019, HB 315, and in 2020, HB 336 would have legalized sports betting in the state. They were both structured very similarly, and, unsurprisingly, both died on the committee.
The 2021 bill was a whole collection, an omnibus. In addition to sports betting, it would have launched an Alabama State Lottery and established casinos. The Senate approved it, but the House did not even take it up. Bettors in Alabama will have to wait until things change a bit.
Alabama continued to fail to license its own local sportsbook in 2022. Sports betting supporters have since pushed even harder in 2023 and 2024, but as of yet, no agreement appears close.
Betting on Alabama Teams
There’s no question that Alabama residents love their sports. While they don’t host any professional league teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL, they do have some great collegiate teams that perform quite well in NCAAF football and NCAA Basketball, such as Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, and Alabama State Hornets. Here's how to get action on 'em:
Betting On Alabama Crimson Tide
The Nick Saban era is officially over in Tuscaloosa so it remains to be seen where the Crmon Tide will continue their dominance in college football without him. Over the last 15 years, bets on Bama paid consistently. Now? We'll see. But you better believe the Tide are freely available to bet at sportsbook we already suggested above!
Other Types Of Betting In Alabama
Earlier in this article, we covered how Alabama had a new bill to legalize sports betting, casinos, and a lottery in one go. One by one, all those got struck down and none passed. Maybe legalized casino and betting aren’t all that surprising, but lottery is. Alabama is one of five U.S. states without a lottery — which should tell you how slim the chances of legalized sports wagering happening is.
Pretty much the only forms of betting in Alabama are horse racing and daily fantasy sports (DFS). DFS platforms like FanDuel and PrizePicks work perfectly fine and are available online. Horse-betting works online too, but oddly enough not in person. Alabama outright banned live horse bets, but allows it via in-person simulcast and online sites.
Sports Betting Rules In Each State
We've done in-depth guides to other states besides Alabama. Check out our complete directory:
Responsible Gaming In Alabama
Before you run off and jump into gambling with all the information we’ve presented, we want to remind you to play smart and stay in control. Read that sentence twice cause it’s important. Gambling should be an enjoyable hobby — not something that causes stress or financial strain or both.
Since there’s no legal sports betting in Alabama, there’s no fully built infrastructure to address problem gambling. It’s for this reason that we’re mentioning it ourselves to close out this guide. You might have to become self-aware of problem gambling like chasing losses, inability to stop playing, borrowing money to gamble, lying about losses, among others.
If you ever catch yourself doing these things, there is some external support. We’re sharing that support below for your convenience. We hope betting never drives you to this point, but it does, these resources will help:
Gamble Aware (https://www.gambleaware.org/)
A non-profit organization providing resources and support for individuals struggling with gambling addiction.
International Center for Responsible Gaming (https://www.icrg.org/)
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (CRG) is a research institution dedicated to promoting safe gambling practices and addressing gambling-related issues.
24/7 Gambling Support Line (https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/about-the-national-problem-gambling-helpline/)
A round-the-clock helpline offering immediate assistance and guidance for those experiencing gambling-related problems.
Alabama-specific resources:
Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling Helpline (https://www.alccg.org)
A 24-hour confidential helpline providing support, information, and treatment referrals for problem gambling in Alabama.
Alabama Department of Mental Health – Gambling Addiction Program (https://mh.alabama.gov)
Offers resources and referrals for gambling addiction treatment within Alabama, along with support services for individuals and families.
The Council on Problem Gambling - Alabama Resources (https://www.ncpgambling.org/state/alabama/)
This non-profit can connecxt you to local resources state-by-state