Alabama Gaming Package Easily Defeated, Author Predicts Ban to Continue for Decades

Posted on: April 7, 2025, 08:18h. 

Last updated on: April 7, 2025, 10:31h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

• Alabama will remain free of casinos, sports betting, and lottery gaming
• A gaming package was quickly defeated just days after its introduction
• The legislation’s author thinks the gaming prohibition will remain for decades

The Alabama gaming package introduced only last week has been defeated in the Montgomery capital.

Over the weekend, state Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) conceded that there weren’t enough votes to forward his gaming bills that sought to initiate a statewide constitutional ballot referendum to allow tribal and commercial casinos with slot machines and live-dealer table games, sports betting, a state-run lottery, and electronic gaming devices are parimutuel locations.

Since the Alabama Constitution would need to be amended by voters to allow casino gambling and a lottery, a 60% majority support in each chamber of the Legislature was needed for Albritton’s referendum measure. Albritton said it became apparent soon after filing his gaming bills that he didn’t have 21 votes in the 34-person Senate.

Unwavering Opposition

Albritton has been trying to legalize forms of gambling in Alabama for years. He says many Alabamans are already gambling illegally through offshore casino websites and sportsbooks, and more unsavory means like local bookies and underground gambling outfits.

Albritton believes regulating casinos, sports betting, and establishing a lottery would protect consumers while also creating critical forms of new state tax revenue. But whenever some lawmakers hear gaming, Albritton says they’re immediately opposed.

We’ve tried everything we can on this bill over the years,” Albritton said, as first reported by AL.com. “One thing that has been proven is that it doesn’t matter what the bills says. If the word ‘gaming’ or ‘gambling’ shows up on the page, it’s a ‘no’ vote.”

Albritton opined that the odds are good that Alabama will remain free of casino gambling and a lottery for at least the next two decades.

We’ve been struggling with this for 25 to 26 years already. I don’t see anything changing,” a defeated Albritton said.

Last year, Albritton was blamed for being the deciding vote against a gaming package compromise reached by a special joint legislative committee. Albritton voted down the measure because it didn’t allow the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who operate an electronic bingo facility in the Senator’s district, to expand their reach with a commercial casino in the northern part of the state.

The Poarch Creek Indians have since acquired the Birmingham Racecourse where the tribe had hoped to gain authorization through Albritton’s legislation to convert the property into a commercial casino resort. With the bill dead, the tribe’s bet on the shuttered racetrack will depend on its ability to grow revenue at the track through its approximately 300 historical horse racing (HHR) gaming terminals.

Alabamans Want Gaming

Gaming remains divisive in the capital, but polling shows that isn’t the case amongst the public.

The poll had a margin of error of 4.3%. Alabama is a Republican stronghold in the Bible Belt. Alabama hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1976.