Alabama sports betting is quickly moving closer to an Election Day referendum.
Earlier this week, a pair of bills passed out of committee. On Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed those bills, HB 151 and HB 152. They now head to the Senate, and if they’re passed there, voters will decide the fate of Alabama sports betting this November.
HB 151 and HB 152 pass with significant majorities
Unlike some states, Alabama law requires three-fifths majorities in both the House and the Senate. A simple majority would not have been enough.
HB 151 passed in a 70-32 vote (68.6% voting “yes”). Later that day, HB 152 passed by a slightly slimmer, 67-31 margin (68.3% voting “yes”).
Together, these bills put the launch of a widespread Alabama gambling industry in the hands of voters. In addition to Alabama sports betting, the legislation calls for in-state casinos and the launch of a state lottery. Amendments approved Thursday allow for local organizations to continue running bingo games, too.
What’s next for the Alabama sports betting bills?
The bills will now be considered by the Senate. In 2022, that chamber introduced a pair of Alabama sports betting bills that, on the surface, seem similar to these pieces of legislation.
SB 293 and SB 294 would have legalized Alabama sports betting by way of a constitutional amendment. They would have also paved the way for the launch of an Alabama lottery, as well. Both bills, however, did not make it past that chamber.
The biggest difference between those bills and these proposals comes in the size of the industry. SB 293 and SB 294 would have limited sports betting licenses to five, and only permitted operators to run retail outlets at casinos or online sportsbooks backed by those establishments. HB 151 and HB 152, meanwhile, account for a more open market and would bring some of the country’s best sportsbooks to the Yellowhammer State.
Much has changed in the last two years, especially in the southeast United States. Florida has relaunched its sports betting industry, and an Alabama neighbor, Georgia, is considering legalization. Furthermore, North Carolina online sports betting launches on Monday, March 11, and Mississippi online sports betting could soon materialize.
