Opinion Alabama's next gambling fight has started
As the various entities start maneuvering for the 2027 gambling debate that's sure to happen, there's already a fight under way.
Are you ready for some gambling?
Well, gambling legislation, that is. Because if not, you better get ready. Especially if you’re a freshman lawmaker making your first trip into the state house.
Gambling legislation is headed your way, and the fighting has already begun.
Credible rumors are already making the rounds that Alabama’s new governor, Tommy Tuberville, is expected to call a special session after the 2027 regular session, which starts in February and ends in May. That special session, assuming the rumors are true, will be devoted exclusively to working out a comprehensive gambling plan.
That means legislation that establishes a gaming commission, sets up a lottery, allows for a limited number of casino licenses and legalizes sports wagering.
Except maybe not that last one.
The one thing our new governor—who, as a bit of a political outsider (which is an odd thing to say about a former U.S. senator), is unfamiliar with these gambling debates—will have to learn is that you never know where the trouble is going to come from during a gambling debate, but rest assured that it is coming. And usually from someplace weird.
That weird place right now is Alabama Democrats, who are not exactly thrilled with the sports betting folks.
That’s the DraftKings and FanDuels and Hard Rocks of the betting world—all those companies that have filled your TVs with endless commercials during every sporting event you watch. Those companies got together and formed a sports betting alliance, and the SBA has dumped buckets and buckets of money into Alabama elections over the past year.
It started during primary season, when the SBA went toe-to-toe with Alfa in a number of high-profile races, almost all of which were on the Republican side of the aisle. A conglomerate of sports wagering companies spent more than $10 million in those Republican campaigns, helping to protect candidates the companies perceived as friendly towards sports wagering.
It’s easy to understand why—Republicans in Alabama hold a supermajority in the state legislature and getting the votes to pass gambling legislation among ALGOP members can be tricky. That is especially true since passing gambling legislation in Alabama requires a constitutional amendment and that means three-fifths of the legislature must approve it. That’s 63 votes in the House and 21 votes in the Senate.
Democrats typically support most lottery and gambling legislation, but Republicans are usually torn between the religious right resistance and the Alfa influence against it on one side and the tax-replacing revenue on the other.
That leaves a nearly constant game of whack-a-mole happening anytime a group tries to push gambling legislation through the chambers. There are constant problems, lies, subterfuge and backroom deals—all of it seemingly designed to eventually kill the bill. And it’s almost always the Republican side causing the numbers problems.
So, it’s natural for a group such as the SBA to focus their efforts on Republicans. To protect their most valuable and vulnerable members and counter attacks from the other side.
Except this election was different. Because Democrats were in the midst of making a historic run, and they didn’t feel the same love from the SBA. In fact, they felt taken for granted. And now, the bad feelings have boiled over and there’s apparently a mini spat.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, the architect of a number of Democratic campaigns and voting efforts around the state, took the unusual step on Monday of returning a $25,000 donation that the SBA sent to the Alabama Democratic Victory Fund PAC, which Daniels manages.
“The days of Democrats in Alabama being taken for granted are over,” Daniels said. “I thought things were good until I saw the money spent against Rudolph Drake (in the SD2 race). Two pro-gaming candidates in that race, with one being attacked vigorously on TV and the other helpless until he got a chance to set the record straight. That’s not fair to us.”
Asked what chances gambling legislation might have in the upcoming session or possibly the rumored special session, Daniels said the particulars of the legislation would be important.
“Democrats are prepared to engage with all interested parties on gambling legislation, particularly focused on a lottery and casino licensing to Alabama-based companies,” he said. “Beyond that, we’ll just have to see. Maybe they’ve already got enough votes and don’t really need Democrats. The legislation did fail by just one vote the last time, with every Democrat voting for it, and now there are 31 in the House and 10 in the Senate. We’ll turn our attention to helping Alabama families afford to put food on the table, buy gas, and cap their property taxes. And we'll prioritize working with in-state operators on any gaming legislation.”
Daniels was not alone in his party. Two other Democrats also expressed frustrations over the situation and said the majority of caucus members have been upset by the way the situation was handled.
However, there also seems to be some room for reconciliation. The SBA did support a number of at-risk Democrats in important races across the state, putting hundreds of thousands into advertising and other campaign aid for the Dems. That assistance did not go unappreciated, and the Democrats, including Daniels, said they were appreciative to some of the people who worked with them and that there are pathways forward. What those paths are, though, are unclear.
Where that leaves the overall gambling debate is also murky. Most discussions of potential gambling legislation include sports wagering, particularly since the SBA has been so active during the campaigns. Removing sports wagering would very likely place yet another powerful entity at odds with passing comprehensive legislation.
But passing gambling legislation soon has to be a priority for Republicans, because they desperately need the revenue to address a number of budget issues. And that’s before Tuberville comes to town with a “Playbook” filled with tax cuts.
Just how engaged Tuberville will be on the issue is anyone’s guess at this point. On the campaign trail, he rarely strayed beyond saying that he wasn’t a big proponent of gambling, but also wouldn’t stand in the way of a vote of the people. That sounds like a governor who will be somewhat removed from the process, but then again, campaign talk and actual governance often look remarkably different, and who knows what a governor in need of revenue for other wishes will be inclined to do?
One thing is for sure—the economics of gambling haven’t changed much. It still has a massive economic impact—upwards of $700 million per year—and could be considered the greatest jobs bill ever passed—with the potential to generate more than 10,000 permanent jobs, depending on the final specifics of the bill.
It promises to be yet another wild ride, no matter what. With 22 new members, the state’s first new governor in more than a decade, a Democratic minority with newfound moxie, and a couple of budgets that could really use an influx of cash, the pressure to get something passed and the political maneuvering will be at all-time highs.
And that’s if we even get a gambling bill at all.
