The legal gaming push driven by the Alabama House in 2024 died with a “whimper” at the end of the session, several weeks after failing by one vote in the Alabama Senate. This is all according to a recent update from the state in regards to the future fate of gaming in the region. That same push was a non-starter in the Alabama Senate in 2025 when Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) effectively ended discussion on legislation reportedly filed by State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) earlier that day. When asked if he made the call because of the limited number of days in session proportionate to the mountain of legislative lifts remaining, Gudger told a local broadcast outlet in the state that that was exactly the case. “But I do believe it was the right decision,” Gudger said.
For this article, SBS will be going over the latest gaming updates coming from the world of Alabama gaming, along with some additional notes and thoughts from the state.
Per the same report, Gudger said he believes that should continue to be the case, especially in an election year. “I think it came in too late with too few votes, and by doing that, that legislation that I finally got to see after people were talking about it for the while, it came up, and we did a vote count in our caucus and on the floor, and it’s just one of those where it did not make sense for us to push as hard as it needed to be pushed to pass,” Gudger said.
When lawmakers return to Montgomery for their next regular session, it will make the final year of the current quadrennium, and a dead heat of the 2026 primary election season. “To answer that question, I do not want (a gaming bill) to come up. Personally, I think that there are going to be some people who want it to come up. But I think during the election, it’s already chaos. If you bring in gambling to that, it is mass chaos times four, with a tornado coming through and a circus with three going on with different people,” Gudger said.
He would go on to be quoted in the report as, “So I think that the best thing for my colleagues in the Alabama State Senate is to go ahead and hear me say, I do not want to bring up gambling next year. And if we do that, it will take all the oxygen out of the room. So let’s focus on what we need to focus on – the bills that we need to get at hand, get through the campaign season, and then the first year of the next quad. I’m pretty sure it’s coming back, and coming back hard.”
Noted in the same article, Gudger sidelined the issue in 2025, warning that it would derail the legislature’s opportunity to accomplish its top policy priorities, which still fell short of some lawmakers’ expectations, per the same article. “Well, and you kind of shut it down this session because … that you didn’t want it to eat up all the oxygen in the room, because there was so much else to do, so many other issues. And I guess that’s part of your role, is to say, ‘Okay, you have got to prioritize. You only got a limited number of days.”
He would go on to expand his points by saying, “And my personal opinion is that if it’s not ready to go, and you have got your 21 votes for a constitutional amendment vote on the Senate floor, then it doesn’t need to be introduced. And so the key for me was we need to make a decision one way or the other,” Gudger said in the report. “(We) have been here for seven years now, and every year it has creeped up on us and creeped up on us to the point by the end of the session, everybody – that’s what they’re talking about.”
“I did not want that to happen in my first session,” Gudger was also reported as saying in the article. “I wanted us to have good, clean votes, where our head work was very clear and not clouded by these types of issues. And so I wanted to make sure everyone in my Senate knew we are done with this for the year. There’s not enough votes, so let’s go forward on things that really matter.”
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About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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