Tommy Tuberville Won’t Stop Alabama Gambling Push But Divided Legislature Lengthens Odds

Republican Tommy Tuberville says if he’s elected governor of Alabama, he would not stand in the way of a push to legalize gambling. A divided state legislature, however, might. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Republican Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville during a campaign rally in the Mitchell Center at the University of South Alabama on Oct. 2, 2026, in Mobile. Tuberville says he would not oppose an effort to allow Alabamans to decide if forms of gambling be authorized in the Cotton State. (Image: Getty) The Alabama Constitution forbids the state legislature from authorizing any new form of gambling, including casinos, lotteries, and sports betting. For that to change, voters would need to pass a statewide ballot referendum amending the state’s legal framework to provide the legislature with such powers. Tuberville, the famed former football coach of the Auburn Tigers, has represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate since 2021. He’s seeking to exit Washington for the governor’s office in Montgomery during next Tuesday’s (Nov. 3) election. Tuberville Unopposed to Gambling Tuberville recently sat down with the Capital Journal, where he was asked about gambling. While a legislature-led constitutional referendum wouldn’t need the governor’s signature to go before voters, Tuberville said it would be his hope that lawmakers work with the governor’s office on any gambling push. Tuberville said the governor should “be on top of everything” in determining a gambling package to put before voters. “I’m not a gambler, so either way for me would be fine. I want to do what the people of Alabama want to do,” Tuberville said. I’m not going to stand in the way of it, but I’m not going to go out there and promote it unless we get a complete overview of how we want to do it from day one. Not just roll the dice,” Tuberville said. Tuberville has taken $130,000 in campaign contributions from VGW, an online sweepstakes casino that continues to operate its platforms in Alabama despite the state’s gambling ban. VGW’s brands include Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Casino. Path to Ballot For the Alabama State Legislature to ask voters to amend the constitution, a bill must secure a three-fifths majority (60%) in both the State Senate and House of Representatives. If the measure goes before voters, it needs only a simple majority to pass. Alabama’s Legislature is heavily controlled by Republicans, with the GOP holding 27 of 35 Senate seats and 76 of 105 House seats. Despite public polling showing that Alabamians want to vote on gambling, many lawmakers in Montgomery remain opposed to a referendum, citing religious convictions. Latest Polling, Odds Tuberville has long been considered the front-runner to succeed term-limited Gov. Kay Ivey (R). Alabama hasn’t had a Democratic governor since Democrat Don Siegelman was defeated by Republican Bob Riley during the 2002 election. Recent polling, however, suggests the race between Tuberville and Democratic opponent Doug Jones, a former U.S. Senator representing Alabama who Tuberville ousted from office during the 2020 election, is tighter than previously thought. Democratic-aligned Chism Strategies gives Tuberville just a three-point lead, with the polling outlet calling the race a “genuine toss-up.” Prediction market traders aren’t buying the Chism poll. Tuberville’s shares of winning Alabama’s governor’s office are trading at 93 cents as of Oct. 30. Jones is on record saying he would support a “comprehensive gambling bill.” The post Tommy Tuberville Won’t Stop Alabama Gambling Push But Divided Legislature Lengthens Odds appeared first on Casino.org.