The battle between supporters and opponents of possible lottery and gambling legislation is heating up ahead of the 2025 legislative session that starts next week.
The Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama recently began running pro-lottery ads on social media asking Alabamians to request their legislators "support your right to vote on a State Lottery."
The ad links to a Give Alabama A Voice page that states, "Tell Montgomery YOU want the chance to vote on an Alabama Lottery!"
"We've never been closer!!! Here in 2025, we have the momentum to vote on an Alabama Lottery, giving YOU the chance to participate in billions of dollars in lottery winnings. PLUS, Alabama gets to keep its share of the lottery revenue we are currently giving away to other surrounding states. This money will help our school children and build roads with out additional taxes," the group says.
The Sports Betting Alliance is also running social media ads in favor of legalizing sports betting in Alabama.
"Legalizing online sports betting would protect people against predatory, offshore betting sites and generate tens of millions in new tax revenue. Legal online sports betting would generate between $65 and $90 million in NEW annual tax revenue for Alabama," the Sports Betting Alliance said.
The Alabama Policy Institute (API) launched a new website on Monday: www.bettinghurtsbama.com.
API said the educational website illustrates and links information and resources about the expansion of gambling, including research, data, and reports about the impact of gambling and the repercussions of a possible expansion of gambling in Alabama.
"Legalizing casino-style gambling in the state and establishing a statewide lottery is bad public policy, both fiscally and socially, and it is the wrong solution to address the state's unsustainable fiscal trajectory. Regardless of who plays the lottery or gambles (regardless of the outcome), the government receives a portion of every dollar spent on these activities. This creates a perverse incentive for the state, especially when conventional revenue streams are volatile. The state becomes addicted to these regressive funding streams, with politicians actually desiring for more and more individuals and families to recklessly spend their money gambling. If a lottery is instituted or gambling increased, calls to further increase gambling will become incessant and government expansion will likely follow in its wake," API said on their new site released on Monday.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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