Online Alabama Sports Betting: No Legal Alabama Bookies

The Legal Status of Alabama Bookmakers

Sports betting is explicitly illegal in Alabama. Online sports betting Alabama is outlawed, along with in-person sports betting. You cannot wager on sporting events in Alabama, but you can bet on horse races and dog races as they are types of peri-mutuel sports betting, which was legalized in 1971.

Legal Options for Alabama Residents

Alabama has banned online gambling, but the state has not specifically mentioned online sports gambling. Since you cannot bet on sports events like football games, you have no legal online sports betting options anyway.

However, since peri-mutuel sports betting is legal (horse and dog races), there are some betting sites that welcome Alabama residents and allow them to bet on races. The legal age requirement for betting on horse and dog races, whether offline or online, is 19 years.

Land Based Casinos in Alabama

Alabama has the same attitude towards casinos as it has towards sports betting. However, the Poarch Band of Creek Indian tribe has been allowed to open casinos as per federal law, which offers special privileges to Indian tribes. There are three Native American casinos, located in Montgomery, Atmore, and Wetumpka.

There is now also a non-Native racino, called Victoryland, in Shorter. However, none of these four land-based casinos are allowed to have table games like poker and roulette, which greatly affects their revenue. They currently only have bingo machines.

Daily Fantasy Sports in Alabama

Daily Fantasy Sports are a type of fantasy sports betting where the players create a fantasy team made out of real athletes from different sports and leagues and they earn money based on how these athletes statistically perform in real-life competitions.

Daily Fantasy Sports are the only other form of legal sports betting in Alabama apart from peri-mutuel betting. After a long battle to legalize Daily Fantasy Sports, the state finally did it in 2019 on the conclusion that the games are based on skill, rather than chance.

Horse Racing in Alabama

Horse racing, and betting on it, is perfectly legal in Alabama. It hasn’t always been like that, but horse racing betting, along with dog racing betting, were both legalized in 1971. Unfortunately to fans of the sport, there are no longer live events they can attend.

If they want to place their bets, they can go to one of the four off-track betting sites in the state. Three of them are located at live greyhound racing tracks. A bettor might also use the services of online bookmakers, which are legal as long as you can only bet on horse and dog races there.

Offshore Bookies in Alabama

We can’t begin to explain how illegal offshore bookmakers are in Alabama. First of all, they are banned by a federal law enacted in 2006 called The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act or UIGEA. On Black Friday 2011, three of the biggest online poker providers were charged with violating the UIGEA, which made reputable offshore websites ban American players.

The ones that still accept them are not only violating federal law, but they are also highly untrustworthy and there is a big chance that they are scams. We advise our Alabama readers against betting in such websites.

Pending Sports Betting Legislation for Alabama sportsbooks

There have been numerous discussions about legalizing sports betting, and even online sports betting Alabama. The current legislative situation in Alabama is murky and unpredictable though. It appears that more and more politicians favor legalization, but they have to overcome many obstacles, legal and otherwise, to make that happen.

The last attempt to legalize Alabama sports betting occurred in the 2021 legislative session. The proponents were hopeful that it could pass both the House and Senate, but unfortunately it wasn’t even voted on, which means that Alabama bettors might have to wait a few more years before they can vote for legalization.

Prior Legalization Attempts

There have been many legalization attempts meaning to legalize Alabama sports betting in the past. The most recent piece of legislation, before the current one, was House Bill 336. It was sponsored by Representative John W. Rogers (D) who introduced it on February 27, 2020.

It proposed to legalize sports betting by allowing both online sports betting Alabama and physical Alabama sportsbooks under a new commission called the Alabama Sports Wagering Commission. The bill unfortunately died in committee when the Alabama legislature session was suspended due to the emergence of the Covid-19 virus.

Current Legislation

The current bill concerning legalization of Alabama sports betting is Senate Bill 319. Its sponsor is Senator Jim McClendon (R) who introduced it on March 9, 2021 in the Alabama Senate. The bill proposes to create a state lottery, legalize sports betting in sportsbooks, as well as to create sports betting sites Alabama could regulate.

It also proposes to add six commercial casinos and another three on tribal lands. These new measures would be overseen by a new regulator called the Alabama Gaming Commission. Considering that the bill was proposed by a Republican, while the last one was proposed by a Democrat, it looks like there might be a bipartisan support for legalization.

Proponents of SB319 say that Alabama residents are already gambling, albeit illegally or in other states, and nobody can stop them from doing that, thus the state can at least legalize gambling. SB319 was approved by the Senate on April 15, 2021. It only needed the House to pass it in order for it to appear on the ballot in the 2022 midterm elections.

The bill was read many times in the House between April and September 2021, but the House unfortunately didn’t vote on it, essentially stopping it for now. Since the 2021 session ended, this legalization proposal would likely not appear on the ballot in the next midterm elections.

The Outlook for Pending Legislation

It’s unclear whether the proponents of SB319 would attempt for the bill to pass in the next legislative session or whether they would make any amends to it before they try again. Unfortunately, there are many legislators who explicitly reject all forms of legalization of Alabama sports betting. Although the bill passed the Senate, the House turned out to be a fiery battlefront.

What Legal Online Sports Betting Would Look Like in AL

If in-person sports betting and online sports betting Alabama are legalized, they would likely be overseen by the Alabama Gaming Commission (proposed by Sen. McClendon) or the Alabama Sports Wagering Commission (proposed by Rep. Rogers). The proponents of Alabama sports betting agree that sports betting should be widely available at brick-and-mortar Alabama sportsbooks, online sports betting sites and mobile apps.

What Online Bookmaker s Look Like in the Legal States

Easily, the most pragmatic reason for legalizing Alabama sports betting is tax revenue. According to a research conducted by the Legislative Services Agency, Alabama can gain between $500 million to $700 million in tax revenue if bills like SB319 were to pass. If gambling is made legal, Alabama might tax it at its income tax rate of 2%, 4 % or 5%.

The federal government will also gain from the legalization of gambling in Alabama. Currently, the federal flat gambling tax rate is 24% and everyone who wins money through gambling must file a W-2 G form for the IRS.

Online vs. In-Person Betting

Some people, however, prefer the atmosphere of a land-based sportsbook and sometimes receive valuable betting tips from their peers. However, going to a physical sportsbook can be time-consuming, especially when you want to make a last-minute bet and other people have the same idea.

Current sports bettors in Alabama are not given this option, which must be frustrating and also dangerous. Once legal sports betting in Alabama is introduced, players would have dozens of good operators to choose from, as well as a multitude of sports and games, along with some juicy bonuses.

Ultimately, each person has their own preferences. If you like to be in the company of your friends, maybe over a nice lunch with a cold one in hand, then betting at a brick-and-mortar Alabama sportsbook is probably your thing.

If you, however, prefer to be able to bet at any time and anywhere while using the best odds and bonuses available, then maybe you should stick to betting at online sports betting Alabama sites. You have enough time to make up your mind, as it might take years for any of those things to be legalized and launched.

The History of Online Sports Gambling in Alabama

The history of gambling in Alabama is long and very complicated. The constitution of the state of Alabama prohibits games of chance, which includes pretty much all forms of gambling. However, there have been amendments to the constitution in the last century, so online sports betting Alabama might become a reality one day.

If Alabama sports betting is made legal, it would be regulated by a special gambling authority. The only existing gambling authority in Alabama today is the Alabama Racing Commission, which regulates racetrack and off-track betting (on horse and dog races). Recently, it was also assigned with overseeing Daily Fantasy Sports.

The reason why bills like HB336 and SB319 have been popping up in Alabama and other American states is due to a Supreme Court ruling in 2018. The US Supreme Court decision on the Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association case essentially allowed individual states to legalize sports betting.

The court overruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which prohibited sports betting on a federal level, on the grounds that it violated the constitution since the constitution does not ban gambling, so any bans and regulations should be left to the individual states.

Alabama Licensing Requirements

Once online sports betting Alabama sites are launched, they would be strictly regulated by the state’s gambling authorities. This future regulator would be responsible for issuing licenses to operators. The approach towards gambling is not very laissez-faire, because each betting provider must prove their worth before they are allowed to operate in the state.

There’s also a limited number of licenses, so not everyone would be able to get one. Afterwards, the regulator would be responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations it creates. Any legal dispute that may arise would also be assessed by the future Alabama gaming authority.

The only way in which players would be safe when gambling is by introducing legal Alabama sportsbooks. In this way, the Alabama gamblers can know for sure that their money is safe, that the games are not rigged, and that if any problem appears, they can rely on the regulator to solve it.

Before that happens, we strongly advise you against betting on black market sites. These sites are at best lawfully illegal and at worst scams that might deprive you of your money. Remember, the UIGEA is still acting, so gambling online at illegal sites is a crime for which you might be prosecuted.

Black Market Bookmakers Operating in Alabama

Conclusion – Alabama Betting Sites are Illegal

In this comprehensive overview of Alabama sports betting, we discussed the history of gambling in Alabama, the current gambling laws of the state, the potential legislation that might legalize gambling, and the dangers of betting at illegal Alabama betting sites.

For now, Alabama sports betting remains illegal and any betting sites you find yourself in, are illegal and should be avoided at all cost. The only exception to the rule are sites dedicated to betting on horse and dog races, since offline and online peri-mutuel betting is legal in Alabama. You can also play Daily Fantasy Sports that are also legal.

If there are any changes to the current gambling laws of Alabama, we would quickly report them by updating this page. We eagerly follow discussions in the House and Senate of Alabama in order to bring you the latest developments in the legalization saga. We hope we can soon report that online sports betting Alabama has been legalized.

Common Questions About Alabama Sports Betting

Thank you for reading this review of Alabama gambling laws. We aim to make our guides as thorough and as easily understandable as possible. Below you can find the most common questions regarding Alabama sports betting if you look for a specific answer. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any other inquiries.