Gambling legislation is unlikely to be considered during Alabama’s 2026 legislative session, with state leaders saying proposals lack the support needed to move forward, as the legislature convened this week.
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger said he did not expect gambling to come up this year. “As of right now, if I had to give you my gut feeling, I would say it would not be coming up this year,” Gudger said, per AL.com.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said there were no active proposals in the House and that any legislation would need to originate in the Senate. “We certainly don’t have anything. It’d have to come out of the Senate, first of all,” Ledbetter said, adding that gambling had not been raised in his discussions with Gudger.
Alabama is one of five U.S. states without a lottery, and any move to authorise a lottery or expand gambling would require a constitutional amendment. Such an amendment must win approval from two-thirds of both legislative chambers before being put to voters statewide. The last lottery referendum, held in 1999, failed by a 54% to 46% margin.
A broad gambling package advanced by Ledbetter in 2024, which included a lottery, casinos, and sports betting, passed the House but fell one vote short in the Senate. Senator Greg Albritton, a long-time gambling proponent, did not sponsor legislation in 2025 due to insufficient support and will not do so in 2026. He has previously said the 2025 failure could delay gambling legislation for decades. Lawmakers have also remained divided over how gambling tax revenue would be allocated.
Outside the legislature, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians has increased its focus on gambling issues, acquiring the Birmingham Race Course in 2024 and hiring lobbying firm Fine Geddie.
Governor Kay Ivey has repeatedly supported allowing voters to decide on gambling issues. “Not that I am so much for gambling, but I do think the people of Alabama ought to have the right to make that decision,” Ivey said, referring to past legislative efforts. A gaming committee she convened in 2020 estimated that a comprehensive gambling package could generate up to $800 million annually.
With a gubernatorial election scheduled for November and a new governor set to take office in 2027, candidates are again weighing in on gambling. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville said voters should be allowed to decide the issue. Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones said Alabama was “missing out on millions, hundreds of millions of dollars” and called for a vote on a lottery.
State Representative Phillip Ensler, who is running for lieutenant governor, said gambling revenue could help fund education and healthcare. “It’s crazy that we don’t have a state lottery,” Ensler said, noting that residents often cross state lines to buy lottery tickets.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/01/14/117138-alabama-gambling-legislation-unlikely-to-advance-in-2026-leaders-say
