Alabama senator pushes gambling vote with new bill

• Alabama State Senator Merika Coleman has introduced SB257, a bill that would allow voters to decide on a constitutional amendment legalising gambling, including a lottery, casino gaming, and sports betting.
• Alabama is one of only five US states without a state lottery.
• A similar gambling bill passed the Alabama House in 2024 but ultimately failed to clear both chambers with the required supermajority.

Alabama State Senator Merika Coleman announced plans in late January 2026 and formally filed SB257 in early February, a bill that would put the question of gambling legalisation directly to state voters.

The proposal would seek a constitutional amendment authorising the governor to establish a gambling commission, with lawmakers then empowered to draft legislation governing a lottery, casino gaming, and sports betting.

Why Coleman is acting now

Alabama remains one of only five US states without a state lottery, alongside Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Regulated sports betting is now legal in 39 states as well as Washington, D.C.

Coleman has framed her proposal in deliberately broad terms, focused on giving residents the right to decide rather than legislating specific details upfront.

“The devil is in the details, and we’ve gotten caught up by them,” Senator Coleman said.

“This bill simply gives us the ability to come back and actually establish gaming in the state of Alabama. It’s not just the lottery, it’s gaming, it’s sports betting, it’s all of the stuff that folks are talking about.”

She has also pointed to mounting budget pressures as a driving factor.

“We have some major deficits coming at us. And we’re going to have to figure out where in the world this revenue will come from. ’27 is going to be hard, but ’28 is going to be doggone near impossible if we don’t have some type of new revenue. The online betting pot is huge, and we’re missing out on all of that revenue,” Coleman added.

Research commissioned by Governor Kay Ivey in 2020 estimated that a comprehensive gambling programme, including a lottery, casinos, and sports wagering, could generate between $510 million and $710 million annually for the state.

Constitutional and legislative hurdles

Alabama’s constitution explicitly prohibits a state lottery. Any effort to legalise gambling, whether a lottery, casino gaming, or sports wagering, therefore requires a constitutional amendment.

For the amendment to reach voters, it must first be approved by three-fifths of both legislative chambers: 21 of 35 senators and 63 of 105 representatives.

That threshold is not easily cleared. In 2024, a comprehensive gambling bill covering a lottery, casinos, sports betting, a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the creation of a gambling commission passed the Alabama House with 70 votes.

The Senate approved a scaled-back version 22 to 11, meeting the three-fifths threshold in that chamber, but the two chambers could not reach full concurrence and the effort ultimately failed.

The intent is to remove the legislative gridlock created by detailed policy disagreements and let the broader question of whether to permit gambling at all be settled at the ballot box first.

Political momentum and precedent

Alabama voters have not seen gambling on a state ballot since 1999, when a lottery referendum was rejected 54% to 46%. Coleman cited that gap, nearly 30 years, as evidence that the debate is overdue for a reset.

The senator’s move comes as other prominent Alabama figures have added their voices to the debate.

US Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor in Alabama’s 2026 election, has said publicly that voters should have a say in any gambling legalisation decision. Tuberville has noted that he is not personally in favour of gambling and would leave any final determination to the legislature and the people of Alabama.

Fiscal and industry implications

Should SB257 succeed and a statewide vote result in approval, Alabama would open one of the last major untapped state gambling markets in the continental US.

For operators, the state’s population of roughly five million represents a potentially lucrative new jurisdiction for both retail and online sports betting, as well as iGaming if lawmakers pursue that route.

For the broader industry, Alabama’s legislative trajectory in 2026 will be closely watched. Neighbouring states have already moved to capture gambling tax revenues that currently flow out of Alabama to unregulated or cross-border platforms.