Nine months after the last round of legislation to legalize sports betting in Alabama was shot down, a sports analyst has stepped forward to advocate for legalization, stating the government is missing out on millions in lost revenue.
Key Takeaways
- John Longshore says Alabama is missing out on tens of millions in tax revenue.
- Some lawmakers warn of addiction and social harm.
- Debate follows gambling bill failure in April 2025.
In a recent op-ed for AL.com, sports analyst John Longshore argued that sports betting is already widespread in Alabama despite the industry being unregulated.
He said residents regularly place wagers through offshore websites or across state lines, sending potential tax revenue elsewhere. He estimates that, as a result, the state could be losing as much as $90 million annually.
Some legislators agree that regulation, taxation, and voter input on the subject are overdue. State Rep. Andy Whitt says he supports legislation that would allow Alabamians to vote on gambling while bringing the industry under state oversight, according to WHNT News 19. Another Representative, Sam Jones, said Alabama needs new sources of funding for health, education, and transportation.
Opposition remains firm, however. Rep. Ron Bolton believes potential tax gains do not outweigh the social costs of gambling addiction and financial strain on families. He also dismissed revenue projections as insignificant compared to Alabama’s multibillion-dollar budgets, warning that gambling would not solve long-term fiscal challenges.
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Failed 2025 gambling bill clouds path forward
Despite the ongoing debate, there seems to be no prospect of legalization in the foreseeable future. That reality was underlined last April when a gambling and lottery bill failed soon after it was introduced in the Alabama Legislature.
The 141-page bill, sponsored by Sen. Greg Albritton, would have authorized a state lottery, electronic gambling at six sites, sports wagering, and a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to allow full-scale casino gaming at existing tribal facilities.
But Senate leadership signaled early on that the bill lacked the votes to advance. With only days left in the session and competing priorities on the agenda, Senate leaders opted to kill the bill.
Sen. Albritton then conceded the issue would be dead for the foreseeable future, citing deep resistance within the chamber. Several senators said they had not even reviewed the bill before it was pulled.
The failure of the bill now hangs over the legal sports betting debate, reinforcing the political obstacles facing any legalization effort in a state that is one of just five in the U.S. without a lottery.
