Alabama Lawmaker Says Gambling Reform Conversation Is Coming, But Old Divide Remains

Alabama's long-running fight over legalizing gambling is set to resurface again, according to state Rep. Chris Blackshear, after appearing on Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal.  

Blackshear indicated that a serious legislative push is likely once the current election cycle wraps up. Yet, he noted that they weren’t “currently working on anything,” but the talk about gambling expansion was bound to happen, especially as a way to tackle illegal gaming.  

However, many attempts to legalize gambling in the state haven’t gone far. Multiple legislative sessions have ended without passing a law, leaving residents with no access to the best sports betting sites.

The core problem remains structural. The Alabama House, where Blackshear serves, has generally sided with commercial gaming interests, including out-of-state casino companies, sportsbook operators, and lottery vendors looking for access to the state's market. His 2024 proposal, which cleared the House, would have authorized Vegas-style casinos at 10 locations, legalized sports wagering, and created a state lottery. 

The Senate has taken a different path, aligning more closely with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the tribe that runs major gaming facilities in Atmore, Montgomery, and Wetumpka. When the 2024 bill reached a conference committee, senators pared it down to a lottery paired with a tribal compact, a version the House would not accept.  

The measure died, and Sen. Greg Albritton said the collapse set the broader issue back two decades. No gambling bill was passed in 2025 or 2026. 

Meanwhile, officials estimate Alabama loses roughly $2.4 billion a year to gambling activity in neighboring states and offshore platforms, while unregulated gaming machines continue turning up in gas stations, florists, and other small businesses across the state. 

Mississippi's sports betting standoff follows a similar script 

Alabama is not the only Deep South state where a legislative chamber is blocking gambling expansion favored by the other. Across the border, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is urging state senators to keep rejecting mobile Mississippi sports betting legislation. 

Hosemann has argued that expanding betting on phones could hurt the billions already invested in Mississippi's physical casinos, open the door to athlete-related misconduct, and fail to generate enough tax revenue to offset the social costs. He also noted that a recent House-passed version of the bill paired mobile wagering with a tax cut for casinos. 

House Speaker Jason White disagrees, pointing out that sports betting is already legal at Mississippi casinos and that residents are already placing mobile wagers through illegal websites and platforms, including prediction markets such as Kalshi. White said the state's gaming commission has acknowledged it lacks the resources to police that activity, and he argued that Mississippi risks losing tax revenue by refusing to regulate what is already happening. 

The House passed a mobile betting bill by a 100-to-11 vote this year, but it stalled again in the Senate Gaming Committee, chaired by Sen. David Blount, who cited doubts about the revenue projections.