You’l also find Rebet social sportsbookin Alabama. This social betting app was started by an enterprising group of Dartmouth students. Unike flif with Rebet, playersare matched against other peers, and their “wagers” are created between each other, without a “sportsbook” handling any real money.
When Will Alabama Online Sports Betting Launch?
Legal sports betting in Alabama has not taken any steps closerto becoming a reaity since the 2024 legislative session when House Bil 151 and House Blil152 werepased in the House. Both languished in the State senate, It’s unclear whether Alabama lawmakers wil undertake the sports beting topic again in future sessions.
The closest prior attempt at legalizing sports betting was Senate Bill 294 in 2023. That bill proposed:
The minimum age to place a sports bet at 21Mobile and retail sports betting;
$100.000 license fee for each sports betting operator;
A 20% tax on gross revenues paid to the state by each sports betting operator;Professional and colleaiate sports bets, as well as prop bets are permitted.
The 2024 legislation period ended on May 20, 2024. The next session wil begin in February of 2025.
What’s Happening in Alabama Sports Betting News?May 31, 2024: The 2024 legislative session in Alabama concluded with no action taken in the State senate on proposed balot initiatives to legalize sportsbooks.February 29, 2024: HB 151 and HB 152 were pased through the senate but were stripped of any sports beting and iGaming amendments, The pasing of thesebills creates a lottery and allows for tribal compact negotiations.February 15, 2024: Sports beting bils H8 151 and HB 152 were introduced to the House and cleared quicky during the 2024 sesion. This billwould allow thecreation of a gaming commission and allow online sports betting. May 1, 2023: There was no sports beting bill introduced during this year’s session, no movement has been made to legalize sports gambling in AL.October 17,202: The Alabama Crimson Tide sufered their first los ofthe season to the Tennessee volunteers. The thriling overtime contest almost went NicSaban’s way, but the head coach instead is left to figure out how to reach the College Football Playoff once more.April 4, 2022: Gambling legislation failed to pas throuoh the Alabama leislature, Baldwin County Senator Greg Albriton plans on reintroducing the bilnextsessi0n.
March 9, 2022: “The Gambling Control Bl” was passed by the Senate Tourism Committee. The measure, senate Blil 294, now goes before the fu senate for consideration.February 26, 2022: Sen, Greg Albriton has three separate gambling bils he said he plans to introduce, but says it may be a mot point because of opposition inthe House. “We have the vehicle, if you will,to move this along.We have the votes in the House and Senate to pass these bils” state sen. Greg Albriton toldAlabama Public Television over the weekend. “But I’ve been told by House leadership, don’t bring it up. Don’t do it.We’re not going to deal with it this year” hesaid.
February 23, 2022: tate Rep. lohn Rogers introduced H8 405, which would bring sports betting to jeferson County, and only Jeferson County. Jefferson County is the home of Birmingham and is located in the central part of the state. t is the most populated county in Alabama. H8 405 would create a efersonCounty Sports Wagering Commision, which would be in chare of administering the program, Adusted gross receipts from sports beting woud be taxed at 10percent. Mobile betting would be allowed, and betting would be restricted to those 21 and older.February 7, 2019: H8 315 is presented but fals in commitee,It is neither passed in the Senate or the House of Representatives.However, dailvy fantasy sports isleaalized this year.
Alabama Sports Betting Apps: What to Expect at LegalizationSince the Alabama sports betting industry is not vet legal, there’s no teling what sports betting list sites mav come to this state in the future.
While there are a few tnibal casinos at the moment none of these have active partnerships with significant sportsbook operators.But we can make tentative predictions about which sportsbooks may pursue licensure if and when they can.
Draftkings is almost certain to launch sports wagering in this state once legaization finally occurs. That’s because this operator already provides daily fantasysports to Alabama residents. in addition, DraftKings has a major market presence in the eastem U.s,with its headquarters being baed in Boston, MassachusettsFanDuel also provides daily fantay sports to Alabama residents, so it and Dratkings are the two bio mobile operators curenty active and attracting eveballs inthe state. like Draftkings, fanDuel may want to take the oportunity to expand in the Alabama market at their eariest opportunity,especialy given the potentialprofits they might enjoy (more on that below).BetMGMl is an up-and-coming sportsbook that has a major presence in states ike Colorado and New Jersey. It may also attempt to provide mobile sportswagering or retail sports wagering to Alabama residents upon legalization of the industry.BetRivers is a solid bet for future sports wagering operators, both for its excellent user interface and popularity across the industry.Caesars Sportsbook, a well-known name in the gambling industry, Caesars recently purchased Wiliam Hi, which was on a huge expansion plan in theUS, Alabama may also be on its long-term radar for a possible expansion candidate.Bet365: This upstart sportsbook is highly ranked among sports beting operators in other states, Bet365 sporsbook AL would likely ofer competitive odds oncollege football and basketball, as well as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL market sports wagering may not be legal in Alabama for severalyears, given the state legislature’s inaction.The list of AL sports beting operators could change significantly between now and the earliest possible launch date.
Alabama’s Legal vs. Offshore SportsbooksIt may be some time before Alabama has legal sportsbook aps,As a result, sports fans may be tempted to use ofshore or ilegal beting sites in the meantime, but wedo not recommend this, llegal sportsbooks have subpar digital security and don’t provide excellent betting odds
This means your personal information and any funds you provide to the ofshore beting site willbe at risk for thet from the betting site itself or another cybercimina.
The subpar betting odds also mean your wagering profits will be lower than average.
security, player-friendly odds using data from oficial league sources, and excellent features, such as odds boosts.
eaalsports waqerina sites wi have excelentAlabama Sports Betting RevenueAlabama Governor Kay ivey announcd the fomation of a special 12-person panel in february 2020.The panel looked into how much money ifany legal sportswagering would bring to the state government.
The panel commisioned a special study,which compared Alabama’s prospective sports wagering and iGaming industries to the markets of nearby states ike Newlersey which has legal sportsbooks, The study reported encouraging findings: onine casino games alone would generae up to $400 milion in annual tax revenwe foAlabama.
A hypothetical state lotery would generate as much as $300 milion, the 2020 study found.Legal sports wagening would generate a minimum of $10 milion in taxrevenue annually, Some gaming experts believe these tax fiqures are conservativeInaction by Alabama’s state government on sports beting is potentially mising out on more than half a bilion in tax revenue annually from sports betting, oninecasinos, and a state lottery.
This might be a blesing in disquise. As other states rake in sports beting and other ambling revenue streams from legal activity, Alabama’s state government mayeventualy se their shortsiohtednes and reverse course.in some wavs, the rewene they wilose out on in the short tem may make sports waoerning leaalization morlikely to materialize.
How Alabama Sports Betting Compares To Other States
Despite significant sports focus among its state representatives and citizens, Alabama measures up poorly compared to other states with legal sports betting industries. Take Tennessee, for example. Though this state only offers mobile sports betting, it still provides sports betting enthusiasts multiple options in which to put money down on their favorite sporting events.
North Carolina, another southern state, launched legal sports betting in 2024 with resounding success. That state permits online and retail sportsbooks. West Virginia also has a healthy sports betting market. All of those southern states reap the reward of tax revenue.
States like New Jersey highlight the lack of progress Alabama has displayed. NJ offers both retail and mobile sports, as well as iGaming betting options. States like Georgia are further ahead in their legalization process than Alabama by a long shot. There are also some pockets of Florida where sports betting apps are available, though that neighboring state has to to sort out its full-scale online gaming market.
Alabama’s other gambling options aren’t very well developed or varied. There are only three brick-and-mortar casinos in this state, all of them run by the same Native American tribe: the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Each casino is a Class II facility, meaning they aren’t able to offer “Vegas-style” table games like blackjack, slot machines, baccarat, and more.
Online casino games are not legal here, and Alabama is one of the few states without a dedicated state lottery. Sports fans in Alabama must cross the border into Tennessee to enjoy almost any form of gambling aside from horse race wagering, which is allowed through pari-mutuel competitions.
Alabama Sports Betting Successes And Failures
So far, there haven’t been many successes to speak of in Alabama’s sports betting industry.
Alabama Sports Betting Success
There have been several pushes for sports wagering in the past. After all, the Alabama Senate quickly passed SB 319 and SB 310 in 2023, both of which would have legalized sports wagering and set up a new regulatory commission to oversee the budding industry. In 2024, two more bills had support in the AL State House, but withered on the vine in the Senate.
Some legislators within Alabama want to legalize sports betting as soon as possible, but they face tough opposition. Hopefully, these lawmakers will continue the push in the next legislative session.
Where Alabama Could Improve Its Online Gambling
Naturally, Alabama can do a lot to improve its online gambling across various sectors. For example, legalizing sports betting would bring in millions of dollars of revenue for the state government and prevent sports bettors from hopping across state lines to place legal wagers.
From a financial perspective, Alabama should consider legalizing online casino games. Or at least expand its retail casino provisions to allow Native American casinos to offer Class I gaming activities like slots blackjack. A state-commissioned study in 2020 predicted that iGaming would bring in hundreds of millions in tax revenue annually to Alabama.
While introducing a state lottery would also be welcome, we aren’t holding our breath for expanding an online lottery system. Even states with official lotteries don’t usually offer online lottery participation.
Sports Betting Legalization Efforts In Alabama
The push to legalize sports wagering in Alabama started a little later here than in other states. Although the United States Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, Alabama didn’t discuss legal sports wagering until the 2021 legislative session. The state had a full year in 2019 to work toward legalizing the industry, but made no progress.
During the 2021 legislative session things changed dramatically. The Senate introduced and passed a pair of bills that would have legalized sports betting and online casino games (alongside other gambling expansions) and launched a new regulatory committee to oversee all these industries.
Unfortunately, legislation efforts reached a standstill when both bills reached the Alabama House of Representatives. Rather than voting on SB 319, the House of Representatives simply refused to debate the bill and ran out the clock, letting the legislative session end without a vote.
There was some positive traction early in 2022. “The Gambling Control Bill” was passed by the Senate Tourism Committee in March 2022. In 2023 and again in 2024 the legislative sessions passed without a bill being voted on for sports betting in both houses.
It’s important to note that Alabama’s state constitution requires ballot approval from voters to expand gaming in the state. That means sports betting, an online state lottery, or online casinos cannot be a reality in Alabama unless the electorate gives a thumbs up at the ballot box.
Alabama Sports Teams
Alabama is a big state for sports, especially college sports. Should sports wagering be legalized in AL, bettors will have many options.
Professional Sports Teams In Alabama
There aren’t any major professional franchises with homes in Alabama. However, many Alabama residents are big fans of major sports franchises in neighboring states like Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. The Titans, Jaguars, and Falcons of the NFL have popularity in Alabama. Many Alabamans who love baseball are fans of the Atlanta Braves.
Sportsbooks in Alabama would offer odds on sporting events in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and other professional sports leagues and tournaments.
Alabama College Sports Teams
College sports wagering will be huge in any future sports betting industry in Alabama. Football, in particular, is like a religion in this state. Alabama is home to five universities with major college football programs.
Of these, the most popular is the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, a team that almost single-handedly drives football fanaticism to levels not seen in other states. There’s a good reason for this, as the Alabama Crimson Tide has claimed 18 national titles over its history.
College football betting will be very popular in this state once AL sportsbooks launch. Alongside college football, expect to be able to place bets on college basketball, college baseball, and other sporting events.
But be aware that the Alabama legislature may somewhat limit college betting. Some states don’t allow wagers to be placed on in-state teams or games; time will tell whether Alabama goes this route or makes an exception to the popularity of college sports here. There has also been a trend toward limiting player prop bets on college bets. The NCAA has called for every state to prohibit such wagers, in part to protect its college athletes.
| 🏆 Alabama Sports Team | League | Championship Futures |
|---|---|---|
| 🏈 Alabama Football | NCAAF | |
| 🏀 Alabama Basketball | NCAAB | |
| 🏀 Auburn Basketball | NCAAB | |
| 🏈 Auburn Football | NCAAF |
- NCAAF odds
- NCAAB odds
Other Sports To Bet On In Alabama
Aside from college and professional sports, sportsbooks in this state will most likely let you put money down on events like NASCAR races, MMA fighting, tennis, golf, volleyball, cricket, lacrosse, table tennis, rugby, and more.
How to Bet On Sports in Alabama After Legalization
Read up on how to bet in Alabama to know what to do when sports betting goes live in this state.
Download Sports Betting App
No matter what the specifics of Alabama’s sports betting industry are, you’ll be able to download a mobile sports betting app to your iPhone or Android device. The process may be slightly different depending on the type of device you have.
If you’re an iPhone user, all you have to do is download the app you want from the App Store. If you’re an Android user, you’ll likely be able to download the app of your choice from the Google Play store. Google has been legalizing more and more legal sportsbooks for download from its proprietary store over response. By the time 2025 rolls around, this may comprise all popular sportsbooks on the market.
Alternatively, you may be required to download your Android sportsbook from the operator’s desktop platform.
When installing the main sportsbook app, you’ll also have to download geolocation software that will track your location and stop you from using the book outside state lines.
Register For The Sportsbook
Registration is where things get a little tricky. There are two types of registration processes: online and in-person.
Should Alabama decide to allow online-only registration, sports bettors will simply need to fill out a form in their app or web-based sportsbook. A new registrant must provide their Social Security number, date of birth, and other information to verify their age and identity. The entire process takes a few minutes as the sportsbook reviews the information and verifies the account.
Some states, like Illinois, have imposed in-person registration requirements. In such case, sports bettors are required to visit a partnered casino or racetrack to which their chosen app has been “tethered” to complete registration. Alabama could take this path.
Naturally, this is much more inconvenient and annoying than online-only registration. We will know more about whether this is a likely development in Alabama once the sports betting discussion begins again over the next couple of years. Many states are practicing “free market” sports wagering markets that don’t require tethered partnerships between operators and retail casinos.
Fund Your Account
Once you’ve downloaded the sportsbook app that seems most appealing to you, you’ll need to fund it using one or more methods. Most popular sportsbooks offer a variety of deposit methods for you to use, including debit or credit card transactions, electronic wallet transfers, PayPal, and more.
Many platforms also offer the opportunity to wire money directly from a linked bank account to your sports betting account. Some of the best include payment limits so you can control how much money you spend on sports wagering every week or month.
You may be eligible for a first deposit bonus. DraftKings, for instance, has previously offered a 20% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 of site credit. How much extra credit you get is dependent on the amount of your initial deposit; deposit more and you’ll get more bonus bets to begin with.
But also keep the fine print in mind. In the above example, any site credit DraftKings awards you has to be played through 25 times before you can redeem it as cash.
Place A Bet
After checking out any applicable opening bonuses and funding your account, all you’ll have to do is navigate to an attractive betting line and start betting on your favorite college and professional sports. In many cases, the bonus bet you receive for being a new customer applies only to your first wager. Read the details to understand the rules for each sportsbook and promotional offer.
Alabama Sports Betting FAQ
How old will I have to be to bet online in Alabama?
You’ll likely have to be 21 or older to bet online in Alabama if online gambling ever comes to this state. This is the most common legal age for online sports betting in other states across the United States.
Will it be legal to bet on college sports in Alabama?
Most likely you will be permitted to wager on college sports in this state when and if it legalizes a market. Alabama is a hotbed for college sports, even compared to other fanatical states like Texas.
Any restrictions on college bets will likely be intended to prevent abuse of players or teams and prevent betting corruption. We can expect there to be strict regulations on how sportsbooks can market to college students and people under the prohibited age (most likely 21 years of age).
Will it be safe to use legal Alabama online sportsbook apps?
Yes. Any legal sportsbooks that eventually launch in Alabama will be overseen by at least one regulatory body, which will investigate them for digital security and a history of excellent performance. SSL certification will be required by default. SSL certification encrypts traffic both to and from your phone and any mobile app you decide to use.
A benefit to the long wait for Alabama sportsbooks is that technology is improving every year for online gaming activity. When Alabama launches legal sports betting, the apps and betting platforms available to its consumers will be the safest and most stable in the country.
Do you need to be a resident of Alabama to bet online?
No. Alabama’s eventual sportsbooks will require the installation of geolocation software, which will track your location and prevent you from wagering outside state lines. But you don’t have to live in Alabama to use Alabama sportsbooks; you just have to use a different sportsbook if you return to your legal home state after placing a few bets.
