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Alabama sports betting is not legal yet, but legislators are making progress in 2024. BetAlabama.com, your No. 1 source for the latest developments & updates on Alabama sportsbooks, is tracking the latest legal developments.
While we wait for Alabama sports betting to go live, there is some free-to-play alternative online gaming you can enjoy today:
Alabama sports betting has never been closer to becoming a reality than it is right now. The Alabama House approved the latest legislation to add a constitional amendment legalizing sports betting and other forms of gambling.
🚫 Is Sport Betting Legal in Alabama? | No |
⚖️ 2024 AL Sports Betting Bill | HB 151 |
🚨 Latest Development September 2024 | House Passes HB 151 |
📅 When Will Sportsbooks Launch? | Late 2024 at the Earliest |
📲 Expected AL Sportsbooks | FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET |
✅ Data Last Verified: | September 11, 2024 |
No, sports betting in Alabama is not legal yet.
We don't know when sports betting in Alabama will be legal. The latest legislation still has to be approved by the state Senate before sports betting can become legal in Alabama.
The legal betting age in Alabama will most likely be 21. That’s the minimum age for sports wagering in most states, even if there are other forms of gambling you can enjoy sooner.
For example, you can wager at casinos in Alabama from the age of 18, while the minimum age requirement for horse racing ranges between 18 and 19 depending on which county you live in.
Yes, there's been some very promising signs of progress with Alabama's latest sports betting bill. The Alabama House Republican caucus met ahead of the new legislative period to discuss a "comprehensive" gambling bill: House Bill 151.
The bill would authorize sports betting, lottery gaming, in-person casino gambling, raffles and bingo by adding a constitutional amendment. As such, it would be put to Alabama voters to decide on the Nov. 2024 ballot whether to approve the new amendment.
The bill cleared its first major hurdle, passing through the Alabama House with a 70-32 vote. Its companion bill, House Bill 152, which establishes the Alabama Gaming Comission to oversee tax rates and licensing, also passed the House 67-31.
Now, both bills move on to the Senate, where they're expected to get some objections. It will need 21 out of 35 votes to pass in the Senate. But, HB 151 reportedly has the support of Gov. Kay Ivey.
Our expert team of reporters and insiders are tracking the latest Alabama sports betting legislation news:
No, you cannot bet on sports in Alabama. Under the Constitution of Alabama, no forms of sports wagering are permitted, except on horse racing.
The latest legislative attempt to legalize sports betting in Alabama calls for a constitutional amendment.
There is nowhere in Alabama where you can bet on sports.
HB 151 would allow for the state to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to establish a casino in northeast Alabama and regulate their existing casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka. It's possible that sports betting would be allowed at these land-based casinos.
No, you will not need to be an Alabama resident to bet online. You'll only need to be physically located within state lines in order to bet.
Alabama sports betting sites will use geolocation tools to confirm you're in licensed sports betting territory.
No, online sports betting is not yet legal in Alabama.
There are currently no Alabama sportsbooks.
Whenever Alabama sports betting does go live, however, you can expect sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET, Fanatics, bet365, BetRivers, Betway, and Hard Rock Bet to become available.
We don't know when Alabama sportsbooks will launch. Given that current legislation would ask voters to decide on a constitutional amendment to allow sports betting, the very earliest sportsbooks could launch could be late 2024. More realistically, Alabama sportsbooks would launch in early 2025 if the amendment is approved.
There are zero sportsbooks in Alabama. Hope remains strong that Alabama will allow sports betting in late 2024 or early 2025.
As of now, HB 151 does not provide for sports betting licenses for pro teams.
In some states with legal sports betting, pro teams and leagues can partner with sportsbooks, though that doesn't appear to be the case in Alabama. In any case, there are no Alabama-based professional sports teams in the Big Four sports leagues.
If and when Alabama sports betting becomes legal, the state will probably become home to many of the nation’s leading online gambling brands. These are top-quality operators that have extensive experience, with many of them licensed to run a legal sports betting site in more than 20 states.
🥇 BetMGM | Best Overall Alabama Sportsbook |
⭐️ DraftKings | Most Popular Alabama Sportsbook |
❤️ FanDuel | Most Downloaded Alabama Sportsbook |
⚡️ Caesars Sportsbook | Best Alabama Sportsbook for Live Betting |
🌎 bet365 | International Alabama Sportsbook |
💪 Betway | No-Frills Alabama Sportsbook |
🎰 Hard Rock Bet | Best Alabama Sportsbook for Casinos |
👍 BetRivers | Easy-to-Use Alabama Sportsbook |
🔥 Fanatics | Most Unique Alabama Sportsbook |
✅ Data Last Verified: | September 11, 2024 |
In a new era of online betting, Alabama sports bettors will be able to visit some outstanding online sportsbooks—none better than BetMGM Alabama.
It’s part of the MGM empire, a famous brand recognized for its work in the casino world, and increasingly for the excellence of its sports betting product. Expect to find an extensive list of college and professional sports, a broad range of ways to place sports bets, frequent promotions, and a top-class user interface.
Thanks to its status as a leading provider of Daily Fantasy Sports games, DraftKings Alabama will likely have a head start when it comes to AL online sports betting, Many people will be familiar with this brand through its DFS work, which will help when Alabama online sports betting goes live.
DraftKings backs up its fantasy offering with a seriously impressive online sportsbook that is at or near the top of the charts for handle and revenue in numerous states.
As shown by its dominance in the online sports betting space, FanDuel Alabama prides itself on being at the cutting edge of innovation. Like DraftKings, it has a head-start here thanks to its Daily Fantasy Sports work, but its online sportsbook is spectacularly good.
It complements its online work with one of the best mobile sports betting apps, which has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times across the many states where it is available.
Caesars Sportsbook Alabama has made serious inroads in the world of online sports betting.
Alabama residents can look forward to plenty of sports to bet on, a steady stream of bonuses, and the chance to enjoy a great in-play betting experience. Every top online sportsbook gives you the opportunity to place live bets, and Caesars’ service in this area is second to none.
A UK-based brand, bet365 Alabama has the best selection of European and international betting markets. Fans of European soccer leagues, tennis, rugby and other popular sports outside the U.S. will love bet365's bet selections and early cashout offers.
If you're looking for an easy-to-use, no-frills sportsbook, Betway Alabama could be the perfect choice for you. While most Alabama sportsbooks are simple to pick up and learn if you're new to sports betting, Betway is a solid option for beginners.
It doesn't overwhelm you with too many options or advanced betting stratgies, so you can test out your favorite markets and methods for yourself.
It appears that sports betting and casino gaming are poised to become legal at the same time in Alabama. If online casino gaming is approved, Hard Rock Bet Alabama will already be well-positioned to offer a great experience for both sports betting and casino.
The betting site and app recently underwent a redesign, which has gotten rave reviews from users in other states for its easy navigation between both types of gambling.
While all Alabama sportsbooks we recommend are known for their user experience, BetRivers Alabama combines all the best sportsbook features into one simple hub. Its top navigation and side menu display the most timely, popular leagues so you can access them easily. You'll find quick same-game parlays pre-packaged from the homepage, as well as live matches.
An extension of the brand's online retail arm, Fanatics Sportsbook Alabama will be unlike any other betting option in the state. You earn FanCash rewards for every bet you place, which can be used towards Fanatics retail purchases or sportsbook bonus bets.
This unique rewards program can give you a boost across many different channels.
Alabama is one a handful of southern states with no sports betting allowed. However, that number is dwindling. Alabama is now surrounded by states with legal sports betting in some form: Tennessee (online), Mississippi (retail), Florida (online), North Carolina (online & retail).
Alabama is also one of several states with a constitution that specifically bans lottery and gambling, which means it would require a constitutional amendment to allow for sports betting.
Alabama has a population of a little more than 5 million, which makes it the 24th most populated state.
We can get a good idea of what Alabama sports betting would produce by looking at Colorado with a population of 5.9M and also legalized sports betting in 2019 via a ballot measure. Colorado reported over $716.4M in total wagers and nearly $3.9M in tax revenue in Dec. 2023.
Kentucky (population of about 4.5M) is another southern state similar to Alabama that just legalized online and retail sports betting in 2023. Kentucky reported $340.8M in wagers and $7.9M in tax revenue in Dec. 2023.
There were hopes in 2022 that legalized Alabama sports betting might become a reality after bills were introduced in both chambers of the state legislature. However, those proposals made limited progress.
Despite the continued support of some senior lawmakers in the state, the 2023 legislative session ended without any new bill proposals to legalize sports betting.
There is currently no Alabama sports gambling regulatory body because sports betting isn't legal yet.
The latest legislation under review would establish the Alabama Gaming Commission to oversee licensing and taxation in the state. It would also create a Gaming Enforcement Division within the commission to police gaming practices.
The latest Alabama sports betting bills under consideration don't specify how many sportsbook licenses would be allowed. However, HB 152 does provide for seven casino licenses.
Licensees would be subject to a 24% tax on casino revenue and a 17% tax on sports betting revenue.
Rep. Chris Blackshear, who is sponsoring House Bill 151, estimates between $935.6M and $1.214B in revenue generated from legalizing casino and sports betting. Between $15M-$42.5M of that would come from sports betting.
House Bills 151 and 152 would establish two trust funds for the proceeds from legal gambling: the Lottery for Education Fund and the Gaming Trust Fund. These funds would be earmarked for post-secondary scholarships, mental health resources and a rural health care program.
There are several factors you can apply when you want to narrow down your search for the ideal online sportsbook for you. This is what our BetAlabama.com experts consider when rating sportsbooks:
You can open as many accounts as you like, and I encourage you to do so! It will enable you to compare the various Alabama sportsbooks, so you can be sure you’re getting the most competitive odds, and you can take advantage of several great welcome bonuses.
I can say with certainty, there will be some exciting Alabama sports betting promotions to enjoy whenever betting sites launch, including welcome bonuses when you first sign up and regular ongoing promos for existing users.
The best Alabama sportsbooks will have great offers for both.
We don't know exactly what retail sports betting could look like in Alabama. It's possible that tribal casinos and commercial casinos could be licensed to host retail sportsbooks on site.
Signing up for multiple sportsbooks allows you to unlock the full potential of your sports betting account in person (if and when retail launches) and online. You'll be able to earn rewards with retail and mobile betting. As you become a more frequent bettor, you'll also likely be able to cash in credits for perks and rewards while on site.
Plus, there will be staff on hand to take your bets and give you any assistance required, and you should be able to wager in cash and enjoy an instant payout.
Then you can keep the good times rolling with mobile Alabama betting apps once you leave the retail sportsbook.
You cannot, as the law currently stands, bet on sports online or in person in Alabama. But, when the time comes to enjoy online sports betting, Alabama customers should be able to place the following types of wagers:
Despite having no Big Four pro league teams, Alabama loves sports. We can be sure that Alabama bettors will flock to the following:
There are several teams that will attract interest among bettors when sports betting in Alabama gets under way. While pro leagues will still be massively popular, college sports will more than likely generate the most betting interest in Alabama.
The short answer: not many. Alabama is a state with an extremely limited range of legal gambling options. This is one of only five states in the union that still does not have a state lottery, for instance.
The only activities available are:
If and when Alabama online sports betting is legalized, there will be a strong focus on responsible gambling. The relevant regulatory authority will insist that all online sportsbooks treat the safety of their customers as a top priority.
Most people who enjoy online sports betting AL will see it as a relaxing leisure activity. However, for a small minority there is a risk of developing an addiction, which can lead to mental health issues and personal problems.
As a result, you should find extensive advice available behind a prominent Responsible Gambling tab at all Alabama online sports betting sites. This should include guidance regarding limiting the time and money you spend on your sports betting account. There will also be links to expert agencies such as the state branch of the National Council on Problem Gambling.
Author
Award-winning contributor with decades of covering sports betting and casino gaming around the world, Martin Booth is one of the most trusted voices in online gambling. From Alabama legislative updates to reviews of the best AL sports betting apps, Booth covers the full range of topics for BetAlabama.com.
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