BIRMINGHAM, AL (WIAT) — The game is a topic of much debate in Alabama, and the conversation is starting to swirl again as college football gets underway.
While some forms of gambling are already legal in the state, such as betting on horse races, not all forms are, such as the majority of sports betting.
Many in Birmingham support legalizing sports betting in the state. Some say it should be taxed to bring in more money and help improve things like roads.
“I find that, like the people there, they are really interested and would really like something like this,” said Birmingham resident Melvin Williams.
Some gambling, like sports betting, is considered a misdemeanor in Alabama, so people looking to bet on their favorite teams must find other ways to do so.
“I have a friend who does a lot of sports betting in another state, but I’m pretty sure the conditions and everything are very different there,” says Birmingham resident Samone Lewis. “I think it’s a different opportunity.”
State Sen. Greg Albritton knows some people go to Mississippi or Tennessee to bet on sports, but he doesn’t know exactly how much money the state is losing there. However, Albritton says with a comprehensive plan some lawmakers want to implement, the state could see as much as $1 billion in revenue.
“A comprehensive plan that would encompass all forms of betting and gaming, gaming of all kinds throughout the state, that would control it, regulate it, cap it and tax the heck out of it,” Albritton said.
However, not everyone views legalized gambling as a good thing for the state. Greg Davis, president of the Alabama Citizens’ Action Program, says legalizing gambling could bring money to the state, just like other attractions like amusement parks.
“If something is illegal, people ask, ‘Why is it illegal?’ There has to be a reason why it’s illegal, and if you remove that, a lot more people are going to participate. Sports betting has become very predatory,” Davis says. “It’s not just your grandfathers betting on one line one Saturday after another, what you see now on TV is very predatory.”
Albritton says new gambling laws have been passed in the House of Representatives in the past, but he thinks there could be enough votes to pass them if a bill is introduced.
