by
While we’ve seen more than 30 states in the USA legalize betting, nothing good has come for Alabama sports betting updates. A lot of folks have been hopeful that legalization would arrive at some point this year, but that’s not going to happen – not unless there’s some sort of a drastic change. And right now, the growing word is that Alabama officials are frustrated with the latest sports betting updates. They should be too.
According to a new report from AL.com, there are currently no sports betting bills in the works. On top of that, while countless lawmakers and politicians have been pushing this movement forward, there are also plenty of Republicans who are voicing their displeasure for any kind of positive movement. The fact of the matter is that Alabama sports betting would bring in millions of dollars worth of revenue.
Despite that, people continue to sit on their hands with things. Because of the popularity of football and basketball in the state, as well as baseball, lawmakers know that there could be a high amount of betting from start to finish in the calendar year. Things would of course be at an all-time high in the fall and winter, with both the NFL betting odds and NCAAF betting odds being checked regularly.
There was optimism that things could get launched by the time September rolled around for the start of both the NFL and NCAA campaigns. However, nothing is on the table as things stand and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change. This frustration reached new levels not only for lawmakers, but for sports fans in the area. It’s about time for things to change, but no one knows if this day will ever arrive. It’s easy to see why people are so angry.
The last time a comprehensive gambling package was almost approved by state lawmakers was in 2021.
Alabama lawmakers, in 2023, are sitting out on the gambling debate.
https://t.co/nsu8yVL56e— AL.com (@aldotcom) May 16, 2023
Lawmakers are furious with the high amount of illegal betting in Alabama
It goes without saying, but lawmakers are furious with the high amount of illegal betting in Alabama. When it came to March Madness betting, things were of course illegal in Alabama, but people in the state were dropping millions of dollars on the big-time tournament. Alabama was a No. 1 seed for the Big Dance, which had its National Championship odds through the roof. They were loaded with talent.
Even though Alabama recorded an early exit from the tournament, that didn’t stop people from placing consistent bets all the way to the final. UConn surprised plenty of people in winning it all, taking down San Diego State to lift the trophy. After the NCAA Tournament, though, people continue betting illegally, with a lot of high numbers being recorded for the 2023 NFL Draft. This is something officials want to see regulated at the end of the day.
“The question isn’t whether gambling will be allowed in Alabama – it’s already operating in the open to the tune of millions of dollars a year,” state Senator Andy Whitt said via an interview with AL.com. “We have to start regulating the existing facilities that are already operating in Alabama. The question is how Alabama can start sending a portion of those revenues to our coffers, classrooms and communities in order to make an already great state better.”
That quote from Whitt speaks volumes. He’s certainly not the only one who is not happy with all of the illegal activity that continues to go on inside of state lines. Nothing is going to change here unless the Alabama lawmakers can find a way to get on the same page. We’ve seen illegal betting rings being shut down and countless others are still in operation. This is something that Whitt understands and he wants regulated betting to arrive as soon as possible.
Top 10 offenses in the NFL post-NFL Draft 👀
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Baltimore Ravens
8. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Detroit Lions
6. San Francisco 49ers
5. Dallas Cowboys
4. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Buffalo Bills
1. Kansas City Chiefs(via @Ballentine_Alex) pic.twitter.com/mzsHgfh3l3
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) May 15, 2023
What’s next for the Alabama sports betting efforts?
The question that keeps on arriving for proponents is what’s next for the Alabama sports betting efforts? If you ask Whitt and some of his fellow state officials, there’s no question that legal betting should be on the table sooner than later. There is no reason for things to be delayed as long as they have been. As of this writing, 33 states have approved legal sports betting and more will be on the way later this year.
We have seen a huge amount of success with launches in Ohio and Maryland in recent years too. This year, Ohio has been putting monster numbers together ever since they gave things the go ahead on Jan. 1. If Ohio is doing such wonderful things with sports betting, then why in the heck can’t Alabama do the same?
With how popular sports are in the state, people are going to find ways to make their bets no matter what it takes. The illegal activity is concerning, especially when all of that revenue could be distributed to help out Alabama resources. Whitt is ready to keep fighting to get sports betting done in the future. The only problem here is that it’s looking like people in Alabama may have to wait until 2024 or 2025 for something good to happen.
