by
We’re down to 11 states, as in the number that have yet to legalize sports betting in the United States. The South has a decent amount of those 11 states — Georgia, North Carolina, and yes, Alabama.
However, now that we’re into the new year — and the new legislative session — there’s renewed optimism. “Is this finally the year?” is a prevailing thought on all issues, but definitely for sports betting. Well, is it? Not if this state senator is to be believed. Let’s get you caught up on what the senator said and why it matters for 2025.
State Senator Pours Cold Water On Betting
Meet David Sessions, a Republican from the state senate of Alabama. He was recently on the morning radio via “The Jeff Poor Show.” The host asked him about the possibility of betting, and well, Sessions wasn’t all that optimistic about it. Specifically, he said it wasn’t a good way to fund government via taxes.
“It’s not a good way to fund government, and the economy turns bad again, and it will because those things cycle — it’s not a necessity, and if people are smart, they won’t be spending their power bill money on lottery tickets and gambling,” Sessions said during the talk.
The timing is these comments is important because Alabama’s new legislative session starts on February 4. It’ll last until May 15, which gives lawmakers in the state three months to discuss the matter. In the same interview, Sessions mentioned he expects the topic to come up this year. Certainly, we know how he’ll argue the matter, but does he have a point?
Maybe we’re biased, but we think Sessions is in the wrong. Is he seeing the types of revenues other states are making off sports betting? We mean, the state of New York had $150 million in sports betting revenue in December 2024. Maybe that’s not a fair comparison given the population and income level up north but look at North Carolina’s sports betting industry. They made $35 million the same month.
Let’s say Alabama does half of North Carolina — a very conservative estimate — that’s still a respectable figure. Yes, the best mobile apps will get their cut off the profits, but whatever’s left will go to the state. Money they can use to fund social programs like education, as many others do.
Sessions suggested gambling suffers when the economy turns though. Really? We think the opposite. When economic conditions harshen, more turn to betting in hopes of making a quick buck. Gambling is actually one of the most recession-proof industries around. But hey, that’s just our opinion after observing this industry for decades.
Alabama Has History Of Turning Down Sports Betting
Sessions isn’t the only pessimist about Alabama’s sports betting hopes. Here you have a state that’s repeatedly shot down attempts to legalize betting — most just sports, but casino and lottery too. Alabama is one of the most anti-betting states not that far behind Utah and Hawaii.
In 2024, Alabama’s House of Representatives actually approved two gaming bills that wouldv legalized wagering in casino, lotteries, and sports. The bills required a constitutional amendment to pass, which would’ve let voters decide at the ballots. This route might be on tap again in 2025.
“I don’t mind letting the people vote, but it’s our job as the senator and the representatives, if we send something to the people to vote on, it needs to be something that’s good for the state of Alabama, and not something that’s just good for the gambling interest for the sake of having money in the government to fund government,” Sessions said in the same interview.
Both those bills were gutted as they went along in the Senate. Heck, the sports betting component was removed completely, which tells you how little lawmakers think of it. In the end, nothing passed and Alabama kept betting out of its state — well, legal betting that is. There is one way to bet on sports in Alabama that’s winning a lot of favor as of late.
Offshore Betting Picks Up In Alabama
Bettors are not hard to come by in Alabama, a state that loves its Rolling Tide football more than just about anything. But since the state refuses to set up legal frameworks, most bettors are taking their talents offshore. You see, there’s a host of offshore sportsbooks that work perfectly fine in Alabama. Being as they are offshore, they don’t have to play by the rules of Alabama or the United States.
Alabama bettors are flooding these sites since they’re accessible, online-based, and work just as good as FanDuel or DraftKings do. Personally, we strongly recommend these five sites to bet on:
Based on how Sessions is talking, Alabama faces a long uphill battle to legalize sports betting — this year and even in the years ahead. That’s why we just suggest going offshore to bet. Don’t put your betting hopes in the hands of politicians who don’t get it. Take matters into your own hands with these respected bookmakers.
Best Betting Sites 