U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) isn’t against passing a gaming bill in the state, but doesn’t want to rush the process.
The House passed a comprehensive package with a lottery, casinos and sports betting in 2024. The Senate stripped it down to a lottery and limited electronic gaming – and the compromise died one vote short of the 21 needed in the Senate.
Tuberville, the Republican nominee for Alabama Governor, discussed the issue this week on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal.”
“I think the governor’s office should be on top of everything in terms of how it’s all put together,” Tuberville said.
“Now, you’ve seen what’s happened with the medical marijuana; been a total disaster. I mean, if you’re going to do it, if you’re going to put it out in front of the people that’s going to vote for it in a referendum, from the governor’s office to the legislature, you sit down and say, ‘Okay, let’s put it all together. Let’s do it right. Let’s don’t have to go back and change this or that.’ Put it all together, whether it’s lottery, whether it’s casinos. I don’t care what it is.”
Lawsuits over the licensing process had kept product off shelves for more than four years, and Yellowhammer News covered the litigation throughout.
“I’m not a gambler, and so either way for me would be fine,” Tuberville continued. “But I want to do what the people of Alabama want to do, and I told people that I’m not going to stand in the way of it, but I’m not going to go out there and promote it unless we get a a complete overlook of how we want to do it from day one, not just roll the dice and do piece by piece.”
State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) introduced a comprehensive bill in 2025, and newly-minted Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) shut it down within days as “too little, too late” with “too few votes to pass.”
No lawmaker even tried in 2026.
“Let’s put it out there and see if the people want to vote for it,” Tuberville added. “And if they pass it, we know we’re going to do it the right way. But have it all together. It’s going to take a year or so to get that done.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee.
