Auburn Tigers legend Charles Barkley is never afraid to share a bold opinion on the biggest topics in sports, politics, or culture – and he’s giving his two cents once again.

In his home state of Alabama, one of those topics has been the potential legalization of sports betting. While the initiative has never once been successful getting to the ballot, Barkley thinks the state is being shortsighted in its view and that folks are going to gamble regardless of whether it’s legal or illegal, so it should be commercialized and taxed.

"That's just silly."

Sir Charles didn't hold back when asked why Alabama still hasn't legalized sports betting and a state lottery to help fund public education.

"People are going to gamble, so why not the state and the people profit from it?"@SBAllianceUS pic.twitter.com/MtjeukJaHe

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 1, 2026

“That’s just silly, we should have it. We need sports gambling, we should’ve had the lottery thirty years ago,” Barkley said when asked how it’s possible that Alabama still does not have sports betting in 2026. “It would improve our public school system. People who block it, their kids go to private school. We shouldn’t let these other states get so far ahead of us…those programs raise so much money for the school systems, people are going to gamble, so why not the state and the people profit from it?”

Whether or not this makes it back to the ballot in Alabama in the coming years remains to be seen, but around the country, the push for legalized sports betting has become more significant than ever in the last several years.

Now legal in 39 states and counting, plus Washington D.C., it does feel like more of a when than an if for it to be widely accepted by every state.

With voices like Barkley behind it, it could come a whole lot sooner rather than later.