Alabama’s Gambling Debate Intensifies as Lawmakers Prepare for 2025 Session

29.01.2025

Alabama lawmakers gear up for the 2025 legislative session. Advocacy groups on both sides are launching campaigns to sway public opinion, with social media ads, petitions, and educational websites fueling the conversation.

Pro-Lottery Groups Push for Public Vote

As 1819 News first pointed out, the Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama has launched a pro-lottery campaign, urging residents to tell their legislators they want the right to vote on a state-run lottery.

Their ads direct Alabamians to the “Give Alabama A Voice” website, which argues that keeping lottery revenue within the state would benefit education and infrastructure without raising taxes.

“We’ve never been closer!” the group says in its message. “Billions of dollars are at stake, and it’s time for Alabama to keep its share instead of sending money to neighboring states.”

Meanwhile, the Sports Betting Alliance is advocating for the legalization of online sports betting. Their campaign highlights how a regulated market could eliminate offshore betting risks while generating $65–90 million in annual tax revenue.

Opposition Fights Back with “Betting Hurts Bama”

On the other side of the debate, the Alabama Policy Institute (API) has launched a website, BettingHurtsBama.com, aiming to educate the public on the negative effects of expanded gambling.

API argues that legalizing casinos, a lottery, or online betting would create a financially unstable and socially harmful reliance on gambling revenue.

According to API, state governments become “addicted” to lottery and casino tax dollars, creating a system that thrives on residents losing money. The organization warns that gambling expansion would inevitably lead to calls for even more gaming opportunities, resulting in larger government involvement and long-term economic risks.