As the 2025 calendar year rolls along, the future of gambling in the Cotton State is once again a hotly debated topic. Per a recent report from Alabama, prospects for bills addressing gambling in the state in the 2025 legislative session remain unclear even after legislators have had ongoing discussions for the past several months in the offseason. Lawmakers had protracted discussions about the provisions they would like to include as part of the gambling package. So much so that they even have the different elements laid out, but finalizing a complete package, one that would get the required votes, remains an open question in the region.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming to the Cotton State along with some additional notes and info regarding Alabama gaming news.
Noted in the same report, there is an ongoing discussion about how to best roll out the new plan among Alabama lawmakers. “The question is, which cut and paste would get a vote and which one loses a vote,” Senator Greg Albritton, chair of the Senate’s General Fund budget committee who had been leading the efforts to introduce a gambling bill in the Senate, said. “We have got to find the magic combination that gains four and loses two.”
The discussions come after a high-profile bill to create a lottery and establish casino gaming in Alabama failed to pass in 2024 amid sharp disagreements between the Alabama House, where the bill originated, and the Alabama Senate over sports betting and gambling expansion. Additionally, the Alabama Constitution bans lotteries and gambling. Any measure to allow one or the other that wins legislative approval would then need to be approved by voters as a constitutional amendment. Those who support legislation aimed at regulating and taxing, gambling said it would be difficult to find a compromise that will address all the concerns of different lawmakers, from the amount of revenue to the types of gambling that should be permitted. Albritton, who handled last year’s gambling package in the Senate, voted against it in a key vote.
“The problem has not gone away,” Albritton said in the report. “In fact, it is getting worse, particularly in sports gaming. It continues to grow in Alabama, and it is growing completely unregulated. We are just sitting around and watching it grow. Whether I can get the votes to get it out of the Senate to do something different, I don’t know that yet.”
As of late January, one bill related to gambling had been filed. HB 41, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Hammett, R-Hozier, would enhance criminal penalties for some elements considered gaming. Promoting or allowing gambling would be a Class C felony for the first offense followed by a Class B felony for subsequent offenses. Additionally, what has been clear is the consensus among lawmakers from both chambers is that any legislation pertaining to gambling must start in the Senate.
“We had it on our platform last time, and we pushed it out of the House, it remains in the Senate, and that is where it died,” Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, said at a news conference recently. “So, until the Senate decides that they want to prioritize it, we are not even going to think about it.”
Noted in the same article, Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Smiths Station, one of the two co-sponsors of last year’s comprehensive gambling package, agreed with the assessment above. “Any gaming legislation in the 2025 session must originate in the Senate,” Blackshear said. “If the Senate does choose to take up a gaming package, and they pass something and send it to the House, then and only then, will we in the House engage and determine how to move forward.”
Blackshear and Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, proposed a package after what Blackshear said was 14 months of research that would have created a state lottery, allowed limited casino gambling, as well as a state commission to tax and regulate the industry. The package, the same article points out, passed the House easily but stalled in the Senate amid disagreements over the scope of the bill and how money generated from it would be dispersed. After the Senate stripped the legislation down to a lottery and a gaming compact with Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a federally recognized tribe with casinos in the state, the House sent the bill to the conference committee.
After you are all up to speed in relation to the latest gambling updates and notes coming from the area, make sure to keep it locked to SBS for all of the latest news and beyond. Of course, for even more analysis on the state, make sure to check out the sports betting in Alabama guide which goes over all of the latest updates coming from the region. On a separate note, the VIP sports betting sites rundown is a fantastic page that goes over the perks for higher stakes wagering for eligible customers. Here you can find out if VIP betting makes sense for you and also if you qualify. Finally, for those on the go and who also qualify, the best betting apps breakdown is a fantastic resource that goes over the perks of mobile betting and how you can stay on top of the action.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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