Alabama Sports Betting | Latest on Alabama Sportsbooks 2025

Alabama has not legalized sports betting, either retail or online. Any future legalization would still require legislative approval—and likely a constitutional amendment sent to voters.

Alabama sports betting is a story of missed opportunities. As it stands, online sports betting in Alabama isn’t legal. However, that’s not because people don’t want it. 

Any sports betting bill in Alabama will probably also seek to legalize casino gaming and lotteries. If so, the Governor’s Study Group on Gambling believes sports betting legislation in Alabama will create an industry worth between $510 million and $710 million annually. This calculation is based partly on a previous sports betting bill that sought to tax operators at a rate of 10%. However, at this stage, nothing is confirmed. This includes the tax Alabama residents will have to pay on gambling profits.

Sports betting remains illegal in Alabama—both retail and online. Any legalization will require a constitutional amendment, needing 60% approval in both legislative chambers and voter ratification.

On Apr. 1, a standalone HB 490—Alabama Sports Wagering Control Act—was introduced. It focused solely on sports betting, separate from casinos or the lottery. The bill proposed a 10% tax rate, licensing up to five operators, and oversight by a new Sports Wagering Commission.

Days later, Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger commented that the bill would not receive the votes it needed to pass, saying he predicts the issue will be "dead for another 20 years."

Neighboring states like Tennessee and Mississippi continue to attract Alabama bettors, and the debate is expected to resurface in future sessions as lawmakers grapple with lost revenue and growing public support.

• Sept. 12, 2025: State representative Andy Whitt estimates that refusing to change the state’s gaming laws is causing the state to lose around $50 to $75 million in potential tax revenue.
• April 3, 2025: Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger says HB 490 has too few votes to pass before the end of the legislative session.
• April 1, 2025: HB 490 is introduced on the Senate floor.
• Jan. 27, 2025: A week before the 2025 legislative session starts, the Alabama Policy Institute launches a new website called bettinghurtsbama.com, discouraging residents from supporting betting legalization efforts.
• May 7, 2024: Sen. Greg Albritton says gambling legislation is likely dead given the makeup of the votes.

Alabama will likely mirror the sports betting laws in Tennessee. This is because neither state has commercial casinos. Therefore, any online sportsbook must operate as a lone entity or be tied to a state gaming commission. 

The most likely scenario is that sports betting in Alabama will be an online affair because there aren’t any commercial casinos. However, it may be the case that the Poarch Creek Indians will also be given the right to offer legal sports betting. 

To know where we’re going, it’s essential to understand where we’ve been. With that in mind, here’s how the push to legalize sports betting in Alabama has shaped up so far.

2024

In 2024, Alabama made one of its most significant pushes toward legalizing sports betting. 

The Alabama House of Representatives passed HB 151, a proposed constitutional amendment, and HB 152, an enabling bill that would have created a state gaming commission, legalized online sports betting, authorized seven casinos, and established a state lottery on Feb. 15. However, when the package reached the Senate, lawmakers removed the sports betting and iGaming provisions, choosing instead to move forward with a scaled-down version that focused solely on a state lottery, a gambling compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and limited forms of casino-style gambling. 

Despite attempts by a conference committee to reconcile the House and Senate versions, the session ended without the legislation's final passage. The measure failed in the Senate by just one vote, leaving Alabama without legalized sports betting or a state lottery for another year.

Gov. Ivey declined to call a special session to address the bills.

2023

Sports betting is “on the radar” as legislators explore options early in the session, but no comprehensive sports betting bill was formally debated.

2022

Lawmakers introduced two key related bills, SB 293 (a constitutional‐amendment proposal) and SB 294 (an implementing bill), to lay the groundwork for gambling expansion.

SB 294 would have established an Alabama Education Lottery and Gambling Commission to oversee gaming, while SB 293 would have amended the state constitution to allow the commission to do so. Neither bill made it onto the ballot that year.

2021

Sen. Greg Albritton introduced SB 319, which sought to legalize commercial casinos and a state lottery. It would have authorized sports wagering and a process for the governor to negotiate a gaming compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. 

The Senate passed a version of the bill on April 13, 2021, but it did not advance through the House in time for approval.

Although it never became law, it was the furthest a bill had ever gone.

2020

In February, Gov. Kay Ivey established the Governor's Study Group on Gambling Policy to conduct a detailed review of the gambling landscape in Alabama, which released its first report later that year. 

The group concluded that expanding legalized gambling in Alabama could produce increased revenue, job creation, and other economic benefits, but not without risks and costs. The study recommended a single, statewide regulatory framework if Alabama expanded gambling.

Rep. Rogers sponsored HB 336, which pushed for regulation and a 10% sports betting tax. Like HB 315, this bill went no further than an initial reading.

2019

A year after PASPA was struck down, Rep. John Rogers sponsored HB 315, which never went beyond an initial reading. The bill would have created the Alabama Sports Wagering Commission to regulate online and retail sportsbooks. It proposed taxing operators 10% of gross revenue and limiting betting to persons 21+.

Even though this sports betting legislation died early, Gov. Ivey approved DFS.

Sports betting in Alabama is likely to offer a variety of options. That means you must engage your critical faculties to find the ideal sportsbook. Of course, personal preference always matters.

However, there are some factors we will look at when reviewing future sportsbooks in Alabama:

Legal Alabama sports betting sites need to know who and where you are. This is because all efforts to legalize sports betting are done locally. As such, you must likely be 21 or older in Alabama to use any licensed sportsbook. 

With this in mind, here are the steps you’ll need to take if you want to use a mobile sports betting app in Alabama:

1. Read our Alabama sports betting reviews, including our legal promo info.
2. Use our registration links and promo codes to create your preferred sportsbook account(s).
3. Input your personal details and our Alabama sports betting promo code. (Note: We will update this page with the latest offers.)
4. Allow the software to verify your location.
5. Verify your identity when prompted by submitting copies of your ID.
6. Make a deposit and start placing bets on your favorite sports.

While sports betting is not legal in Alabama, it's never too early to study the primary sports attracting potential bettors. In the Yellowhammer State, that means college football and NASCAR.

College Football

The state has major college football programs, which would be a natural target for sports bettors. If and when sports betting does become legal in Alabama, one of the key questions will be: Will bets be allowed on in-state college teams? Many states that legalize sports betting impose restrictions or bans on wagering on in-state college teams to avoid conflicts of interest or integrity issues.

NASCAR

Talladega is a 2.66-mile tri-oval NASCAR superspeedway in Alabama. It is known for high speeds, extremely steep banking, and pack racing. Some drivers and teams perform consistently better at superspeedways than others.

Because of the chaos and unpredictability, outcomes are less about pure speed and more about strategy, positioning, survival, and teamwork.

We can’t discuss Alabama sports betting without mentioning the state’s top teams. Although there aren’t any pro teams in the state currently, there’s plenty of talent.

While sports betting is not yet legal in Alabama, several forms of gambling are permitted:

DFS

Daily Fantasy sites and DFS contests are legal in Alabama and have been since 2019. 

Horse Racing

Horse racing betting sites are also legal in Alabama. Even though there aren’t any tracks in the state, you can use online horse racing betting sites such as TVG and TwinSpires Racebook.

Land-Based Casinos

Meanwhile, Alabama has three tribal casinos owned by the Poarch Creek Indians. These venues don’t offer sports betting, but you can play at the following casinos:

• Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Wetumpka
• Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Atmore
• Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Montgomery

The final thing to say about legal sports betting in Alabama is that all licensed operators will consider your well-being. Put simply, they’re legally and morally obliged to ensure you’re not spending more than you can afford. Naturally, they can’t control what you do.

However, they do provide links to contact numbers of problem gambling charities. Moreover, legit AL sports betting sites will also offer onsite responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits, reality checks, and timeouts.

We all want local lawmakers to legalize sports betting in Alabama as soon as possible. However, we also understand that it takes time to get things right.

Therefore, we urge you to wait for legislation to pass and not use offshore online sportsbooks. In addition to being illegal, these sites may not provide safe and fair betting conditions.