Poker Writer
Alabama State Rep. Chris Blackshear said that the state must reconsider gambling laws again very soon. The Republican pointed out that Alabama, a strict anti-gambling state, must act quickly to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of gaming regulation and legality.
Blackshear stated on Alabama public television:
I would love to hear anybody on the opposing side of things to come to us with a solution of how do we then stop what’s already existing? You can’t touch what’s on tribal land, right? But there is a lot of other, some would argue, quasi-legal, -illegal gaming that exists across the state. So, it’s growing every day. It’s popping up every day.
This is not a new topic in Alabama, as residents there rejected previous gambling referendums.
Blackshear noted that gaming exists within the state at an illegal level and in his mind it would be better to confront it directly with a plan rather than let the illegal sector take on a life of its own.
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Alabama Not Tapping into Potential Gambling Revenue
Blackshear said that the topic may not come up within the next session, but will almost certainly be presented in the next “quadrennium,” or legislative term. “Avoiding the elephant in the room” is not going to be the answer moving forward, he said, which means the discussion of gambling will once again need to take center stage in Alabama.
In State Rep. Blackshear’s mind, Alabama is throwing away potential revenue by not legalizing gambling. He said that it is “revenue just sitting there.” The state’s budgets may need that revenue, as the days of flush coffers are coming to an end soon.
The growing popularity of prediction markets has also prompted some states to discuss gambling expansion. If residents can bet on these platforms and they remain federally legal, there’s no practical barrier to legal betting in the state.
Alabama, One of the Strictest States Against Gambling
Currently, Alabama restricts almost all forms of gambling. Despite several efforts to legalize sports betting, it remains illegal there. Alabama also has no state lottery, one of the very few states in that bucket.
There are no commercial casinos in the state. Alabama has only three tribal casinos, all operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. They offer only Class II gaming, so they don’t have traditional slots or table games. The tribal properties offer slot-like products powered by an underlying bingo game.
Alabama native and NBA legend Charles Barkley has expressed interest in getting involved in commercial casino ownership in the state if the state proceeds with allowing commercial casinos.
