Alabama’s Latest Gambling Bill Fails Amid Legislative Priorities

Alabama’s long-standing gambling debate, with the new bill failing to gain traction in the State House almost immediately after its unveiling.

However, unlike previous years where renewed efforts often followed quickly, the bill’s sponsor suggested that this latest defeat could close the book on the issue for decades.

Lawmakers Express Fatigue Over Gambling Discussions

Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, voiced strong disappointment after Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, announced late Thursday that no further action would be taken on gambling or lottery legislation this session.

“We’ve been struggling with this for 25-26 years already … I don’t see anything changing,” Albritton said, adding he was “disappointed, extremely so.”

Despite years of effort to tailor bills that might gain approval, Albritton emphasized the resistance remained immovable. “One thing has been proven is that it doesn’t matter what the bills says, period. If the word ‘gaming’ or ‘gambling’ shows up on the page, it’s a ‘no’ vote,” he remarked.

Some legislators on Friday expressed a sense of relief following Gudger’s decision to halt progress on gambling discussions for 2025.

Complex Proposal Derailed by Legislative Focus on Other Priorities

Albritton’s proposal stretched over 141 pages and mirrored elements from previous versions. It included plans for a state lottery, electronic gambling at six predetermined sites—primarily former dog tracks and bingo halls—sports betting, and a revenue-sharing compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to introduce full-scale casinos at their existing facilities.

Nonetheless, with only a dozen legislative days remaining, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, backed Gudger’s position, stressing that legislators had more urgent matters to address.

According to Ledbetter, the pressing agenda includes regulations for hemp-derived products, the development of a new health plan for of the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA), and stricter oversight of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Sen. Lance Bell, R-Pell City, summed up the general sentiment: “This year, we’re so tied up with PBMs, the hemp stuff and the ALFA health plan that this comes so late that I just don’t believe anyone had an opportunity to get to that. We have a lot on our plate with what few days we have.”

A Year After a Narrow Defeat, Momentum Is Lost

Albritton’s latest push came roughly a year after a comprehensive gambling and lottery bill narrowly failed in the Senate by a single vote after clearing the House. That close call had represented the nearest Alabama lawmakers had come to sending a constitutional amendment to the governor and, eventually, the voters for approval of legalized lottery and limited gambling.

The current bill’s fate seemed unclear within the Senate chambers earlier Thursday. Albritton mentioned that a tentative agreement had been reached on a specific provision, potentially adding two ive votes. However, later in the afternoon, Gudger made the decision to shelve the bill for the remainder of the session.

At least one senator noted that he had not yet reviewed the proposed legislation.

“If the bill is right, I don’t mind (legalizing gambling and lottery),” said Sen. Jack Williams, R-Wilmer, who had been accompanying his wife for surgery and was absent from Montgomery on Thursday.

“That was him,” Williams said, referring to Gudger’s decision to declare the bill dead. “They dusted a vote count when I was gone. But I am sure he did a vote count of the senators and did not have enough to it yet.”

The defeat of this latest gambling bill appeared to mark not just another setback, but potentially a long pause in Alabama’s decades-long struggle with gambling legislation.

Source:

‘’Alabama gambling bill defeated; sponsor declares issue dead for next 20 years’’, al.com, April 2025.