Alabama Sports Betting

Sports betting is not yet legal in Alabama, but it isn’t for lack of effort.

Lawmakers have introduced several bills to legalize retail sportsbooks and online sports betting in Alabama in each of the past few years.

However, Alabama sports betting proponents must overcome significant resistance in a state with some of the country’s most restrictive gambling laws to enact change.

In the meantime, other Alabama online betting options include daily fantasy sports apps and pari-mutuel horse racing betting sites.

Legal Alabama Betting Sites

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Alabama Sports Betting Law

Legal sports betting in Alabama seemed like a long shot just a few years ago, but the tide is beginning to turn.

Lawmakers have introduced bills to legalize sports betting in Alabama each year since 2019. None have made it through the legislative process to become law, but there are indications of changing attitudes in a traditionally anti-gambling state.

In addition, pro-gambling lawmakers have shown signs of increasing their efforts to bring Alabama online sports betting in from the black market to regulate and tax it.

And as neighboring states like Mississippi and Tennessee legalize sports betting, Alabama lawmakers must decide if they’re content to let residents near the borders generate tax revenue for other states.

The latest Alabama sports betting effort occurred in 2024 and consisted of a pair of bills (HB 151 and HB 152) that would have legalized a state lottery, up to seven casinos, retail sportsbooks, and online sportsbooks. The bills would have initiated a public referendum because any gambling expansion in Alabama will require a constitutional amendment.

The House approved the bills, which represented the first time legislation including sports betting has passed a full chamber vote in Alabama. However, the proposal ran into heavy opposition in the Alabama Senate, which stripped the sports betting provisions before allowing the bills to die.

Nonetheless, the effort’s supporters vowed to resume their efforts in 2025. Most of the legislature’s focus revolves around whether Alabama should authorized land-based casinos, so it remains uncertain whether the state’s next major gaming expansion (if approved) will include sports betting.

Alabama sports betting efforts began in earnest in 2019, starting with the introduction of HB 315. The bill died in committee, but it would have authorized online sports betting and retail sportsbooks at race tracks and off-track betting facilities.

In early 2020, lawmakers introduced HB 336, also known as the Alabama Sports Wagering Act.

The Act sought to establish the Alabama Sports Wagering Commission, legalize wagers on professional and college sports, and authorize licensed operators to accept bets in-person or online.

HB 336 failed to make significant progress before the legislative session ended.

Lawmakers introduced SB 319 in 2021 to authorize land-based casinos, a state lottery, retail sportsbooks, and online sports betting in Alabama.

The bill received the Senate’s approval but failed to advance in the House.

In 2022, State Senators introduced two bills (SB 293 and SB 294) that would have put Alabama sports betting on the November ballot.

Had the bills passed, voters would have gotten a chance to decide if sports betting in Alabama should be authorized.

Neither bill made much progress in the legislature, but their introduction demonstrated pro-gambling lawmakers’s motivation to legalize Alabama sportsbooks and online betting apps.

Setbacks aside, sports betting in Alabama is still on the minds of some lawmakers.

In late 2020, the governor’s office received an 876-page study on the implications of legalizing various forms of gambling, including online sports betting.

The report concluded that the state of Alabama could benefit to the tune of $700 million through a combination of casino gambling, lottery, and retail and online sports betting.

For proponents of sports betting, the report provided both good and bad news.

The bad news is the 12-member study group laid out five options for the state, most of which would prohibit or severely limit gambling in the state:

  • Maintain the status quo.
  • Prohibit gambling and provide uniform enforcement that does not now exist.
  • Prohibit all forms of gambling except a lottery.
  • Allow expanded gambling on a limited basis and possibly limited by geographic locations.
  • Allow a full expansion of gambling, including a lottery and casinos.

Based on the above, legal Alabama betting sites would likely only fall in the last bullet point. And any expansion of gambling in the state would require a constitutional amendment approved by the voters.

Further, if revenue is the goal, estimates from a May 2020 report by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama point to sports betting being by far the least impactful:

  • Lottery: $270 to $386 million
  • Casino Gaming: $398 to $423 million
  • Electronic Gaming: $233 to $290 million
  • Sports Betting: $6 million

Compared to the state’s other options and its goal of creating revenue, sports betting looks more like an add-on and not something the legislature will devote a copious amount of time to discussing.

The good news is the study concluded that if lawmakers legalize AL sports betting, they should follow certain “best practices” that would create a robust and competitive market:

  • Authorize sales distribution channels under their current regulatory agencies
  • Establish a fair tax rate without league fees or data requirements for this low margin offer
  • Allow wagering on professional, collegiate, and in-state events without league veto power
  • Authorize intrastate mobile and online wagering to maximize state revenues
  • Permit 3rd party vendors to facilitate sports wagering operations
  • Provide responsible gaming controls for players
  • Prohibit wagering on the results of authorized Lottery games/events
  • Contract with responsible vendors supporting sports wagering in regulated markets

The fact that Alabama was considering legalized gambling and sports betting as early as 2020 is a positive sign.

That said, this is Alabama, and an expansion of gambling will eat up a lot of political capital. Based on the report’s revenue projections and public support findings, sports betting would generate the least amount of revenue and the most blowback.

With gambling expansion requiring a constitutional amendment, the lack of support for sports betting will undoubtedly weigh on lawmakers’ minds.

Legal Alabama sports betting does not appear imminent, but lawmakers have a clear path toward creating a regulatory framework for legal online sportsbooks that would benefit operators and customers alike.

Alabama Online Sports Betting Outlook

Whether Alabama will legalize online sports betting or not is an open question.

On one hand, Alabama’s reluctance to expand legal gambling options could prompt lawmakers to compromise on legislation to legalize retail sportsbooks only.

On the other hand, every Alabama sports betting bill introduced to date has included provisions to authorize online sportsbooks.

In addition, the lack of an established land-based casino industry in Alabama could push lawmakers to follow the example set by Tennessee and legalize online sports betting only.

Given the consistency with which lawmakers introduce legislation friendly to online betting, the first Alabama sports betting sites may not be as far off as they seem right now.

That said, one thing about online sports betting Alabama readers should keep in mind is that lawmakers still face strong headwinds from constituents worried about the potential for problem gambling with increased ease of access.

Alabama Daily Fantasy Sports

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Daily fantasy sports sites and pick ’em fantasy apps are the next-closest alternative to legal sports betting in Alabama.

The Alabama legislature legalized fantasy sports in 2019 via the Fantasy Contests Act, which requires operators to register with the state and comply with various consumer protection regulations.

Fans can read more about their Alabama DFS options here:

Alabama Horse Racing Betting

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Legal horse racing betting is available in Alabama via online racebooks and off-track betting facilities.

All Alabama race tracks have closed due to financial difficulties, but advance deposit wagering apps provide instant access to pari-mutuel pools at hundreds of tracks nationwide.

The Alabama horse racing betting industry could also see a revival if certain lawmakers get their way.

Multiple measures introduced in recent years would expand horse racing betting in Alabama by promoting pari-mutuel wagering, authorizing new game types at race tracks, and regulating advance deposit wagering.

Read more about the Alabama horse racing betting market:

Alabama Greyhound Racing Betting

Alabama was one of just a few holdout states with legal greyhound racing until Birmingham Race Course ended live greyhound races in 2020.

None of Alabama’s other race tracks host live dog races, but all four offer simulcast wagering:

Alabama Online Gambling

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Current Alabama gambling laws are strict and prohibit most forms of gambling, including online casinos and poker sites.

However, sweepstakes casino sites are available in Alabama and offer casino-style games where players can win real-money prizes.

The odds of a legal Alabama online gambling market launching anytime soon do not appear great, but lawmakers have studied the issue and may consider action in the future.

Note: BettingUSA urges readers in Alabama to avoid playing at offshore online gambling sites.

Alabama Gambling Laws

Several laws in the Code of Alabama pertain to gambling.

Section 13A-12-20 of the Criminal Code explains the state’s definition of gambling and what it means to “advance” gambling activity. Alabama defines gambling as follows:

A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.

People who participate in gambling are subject to a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to three months in jail and a fine of $500 or double the amount lost by the counterparty.

In addition, Section 8-1-150 in the Alabama Code renders all gambling contracts void and unenforceable:

(a) All contracts founded in whole or in part on a gambling consideration are void. Any person who has paid any money or delivered anything of value lost upon any game or wager may recover such money, thing, or its value by an action commenced within six months from the time of such payment or delivery.

(b) Any other person may also recover the amount of such money, thing, or its value by an action commenced within 12 months after the payment or delivery thereof for the use of the wife or, if no wife, the children or, if no children, the next of kin of the loser.

Criminal law aside, that one provision is enough to nullify any kind of gambling industry in Alabama. Even if they did find a way to skirt criminal law, Alabama online casinos would find it impossible to turn a profit.

Alabama has no immediate plans to change that law, so it’s unlikely we’ll see legal Alabama online casinos or poker sites any time soon.

As always, the safest bet for players interested in betting real money is to stick with the forms of gambling that are 100% legal in Alabama.

Alabama Sports Betting FAQ

Sports betting in Alabama is not yet legal. Alabama lawmakers have made several unsuccessful attempts to legalize online sportsbooks and retail sports betting in the state.

Legal sports betting will likely come to Alabama at some point, but none of the measures introduced to date has managed to cross the finish line.

Currently, the only legal Alabama betting apps are horse racing betting sites and daily fantasy sports apps.

Yes, although you can’t bet on sports (yet). Legal Alabama online betting options include horse racing betting and daily fantasy sports contests.

It’s uncertain when Alabama will legalize sports betting. Working against legalization is Alabama’s long tradition of opposing gambling expansions.

Additionally, legalizing sports betting in Alabama will likely require a constitutional amendment and the approval of a majority of voters in a statewide referendum.

However, Alabama lawmakers have introduced legislation to legalize sports betting almost every year since 2019.

PrizePicks and OwnersBox offer prediction-style daily fantasy contests that closely resemble online sports betting, except they’re legal in Alabama because they’re classified as fantasy sports.

Other legal Alabama betting sites include TwinSpires and AmWager for pari-mutuel horse racing wagering.

The minimum gambling age in Alabama varies depending on the type of wagering.

Alabama bettors must be 18 for pari-mutuel horse racing betting, 19 to use daily fantasy sports apps, and 21 to wager in Alabama casinos.