Chris Boline
For fans of Alabama sports betting holding out hope for something to get done in the near future, they’re surely left feeling optimistic knowing that they’ve got quite the big name on their side: Senator Greg Albritton. For a while now, Albritton has voiced just how badly he wants the legalization to arrive for Alabama, yet nothing has been able to get done. That’s why it’s important that the Alabama Senator is hoping for sports betting in 2023.
Speaking recently to his supporters, Albritton doubled down on his thoughts on sports betting, reminding folks how important he thinks it would be for Alabama as a whole. In the past, Albritton has presented sports betting bills, but they haven’t passed in the Alabama senate. This was back-breaking for so many people, as they thought that Albritton would finally put the pieces in place to get things over the line.
Two separate bills didn’t pass, which caused plenty of frustration. The feeling really was that there’d be sports betting in Alabama for 2022, but there was no such luck. This wasn’t going to stop Albritton in his pursuits, though. The senator has made it more than clear that he thinks betting in the state would be a home-run decision for everyone involved, especially with the growth that we’re seeing across the USA.
Globally too, sports betting has been on the rise for a while now and the fact that states like Alabama, Florida, California, and more haven’t made the positive switch yet has left plenty of people shaking their heads. This includes Albritton, as he wants things to change as soon as possible. Only time will tell if things end up going down the right way, but Albritton sure has a strong belief in this potential project.
Sports betting is still going down illegally in Alabama
Part of the reason Albritton wants things to be figured out by next year is that sports betting is still going down illegally in Alabama. This has been a growing issue for a while and things aren’t going to get better soon. They will only change if things can be regulated in the proper fashion. Again, if nothing changes, people will keep using offshore accounts and bookies to make their wagers.
This is of course going to be the biggest time of the year for illegal bets to go down. Why? Well, it’s football season and football is 100 percent king in Alabama. Ever since the start of September, people have been checking the best NCAAF odds, with a lot of attention going to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Led by Heisman winner Bryce Young, Alabama is looking like a serious contender to win the NCAA National Championship wagers once again.
Last season, for the second consecutive year, the Crimson Tide made it to the title game. Unfortunately for the fans out there, Alabama wasn’t able to get the job done going up against Georgia and Kirby Smart. Now, this team is poised to try and get revenge on UGA and the rest of the country for that matter. Nick Saban will go down in history as one of the best coaches ever. He’ll only add to his unreal legacy with another title.
With all of that said, the interest in Alabama football is only leading to more illegal bets being placed. Imagine how much revenue the state would be able to haul in if bets were legal and they were going through the proper channels. The state is essentially seeing millions of dollars being handed across the board behind closed doors. This is a big no-no and Albritton is aware of this.
Seize the Moment. pic.twitter.com/g0WnbWfl3p
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 27, 2022
When could Alabama sports betting be made legal?
The non-stop question that will keep coming in is when could Alabama sports betting be made legal? Just like other states out there, things really are unknown. However, Albritton really has his eyes set on 2023. This won’t be easy, but there is more excitement and optimism surrounding this idea. In the south in general, things need to change, as not many betting options have been made legal.
The longer this remains a fact, though, the more desperate people are going to be. There is simply no reason for the majority of the US states to have betting legalized and Alabama to not follow suit. The longer there is a delay here, the more frustrated Albritton and the rest of the sports fans in the state will become. Having discussed that, though, the 2023 legalization really is something to keep a close eye on.
With Albritton on board with this, it only adds to the state’s chances of getting things done. He’s just got to find a way to convince others in the senate to hop on board. There are plenty of people against sports betting, which is rough to see. This is standing in the way of Albritton reaching his goal. We can only cross our fingers and hope that something can get done in the next 12 months. This is something that Alabama really needs.
