There seems to be a major gulf between the two chambers of the Alabama legislature when it comes to sports betting in the state. After the House passed a bill to get gambling going, the Senate shot it down and sent it to committee to try to figure out what steps can be taken to move the bill forward again.
The House passed the bill in February, and it included sports betting, brick-and-mortar casinos and a state lottery. Alabama would grant licenses to as many as 10 casinos, and sports betting apps and operators would then attach themselves to those brick-and-mortar locations.
Alas, the Senate gutted the bill, removing everything but the lottery. So now the House is back to trying to figure out how to get sports betting and gambling legislation through.
It’s not totally clear why there is such a large difference in opinion between the two chambers. The bill has bipartisan support, so it’s not merely a matter of political parties. What we do know is that the Senate and House disagree on how gambling revenue should be allocated and when Alabama would send the issue to the voters.
As far as opinion on sports betting in general, however, the points of contention are not known.
One representative said that the discussions on the matter are ongoing and have been “productive,” but there are only a few more meetings on the calendar between now and the May 20 end of the legislative session.
There is still hope, but it seems Alabama sports betting has a big hill to climb and not a ton of time to get over it.
