U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville offered a brief prediction today about the prospect of state lawmakers in Montgomery being able to put legal gaming, such as a statewide lottery, back on the ballot in Alabama.
The last time voters were asked to consider a change to the Alabama Constitution to make certain forms of gaming permissible under the law was 1999, at which time they rejected the proposal.
In recent years, the Alabama Senate and House have separately passed similar measures, but at no point have the two chambers agreed.
Tuberville says the issue won’t go away.
“Well, I think number one, it should come up in the [Alabama Legislature],” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said. “Last year, I obviously don’t have a vote on that, I heard a lot of pro-for, pro-against. I think it will continue to come up.”
“I think at the end of the day, I don’t know what year this will happen, but the people of Alabama will get an opportunity to vote on this agenda.”
The senior senator added, “I’m sure it’ll come up before the legislature when they go back into session in the very near future.”
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Last year, the Alabama House introduced a sweeping proposal that would have created a statewide lottery, welcomed additional casinos into the state, legalized and taxed online sports wagering, regulated gambling activity through a new commission with law enforcement capabilities, and shuttered illegal gambling operations throughout the state.
However, the Alabama Senate had much less of an appetite. They negotiated the deal down primarily to a statewide lottery, which polling shows voters are by far the most interested in. Senators fell just one vote short when considering to concur with a conference committee report that was quickly adopted by the House.
Time expired during the 2024 session for lawmakers to come to a final agreement, much like the close call in 2021 when chamber roles were reversed.
The 2025 state legislative session begins on February 4.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
