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Free Markets

The expansion of gambling in Alabama “grandfathers in” current illegal operators and picks winners and losers. Possible operations aren’t placed out for bid or chosen due to their level of integrity or ability to market a safe or beneficial product.

Limited Government

The expansion of gambling requires a growth of government structure to manage gambling operations and regulation. Gambling further expands government by providing additional revenue to budgets that are in surplus.

Strong Families

There have been significant increases the rate of addiction, domestic violence, divorce, financial hardship, sex trafficking, crime, suicide, and child abuse in every single state that has expanded gambling.

States that have legalized gambling experience higher rates of gambling addiction, crime, corruption, addiction, and mental health disorders. With more opportunities to gamble, the negative impact of gambling increases. This is especially true as gambling is normalized for children; early and increased exposure to gambling leads to increases in addiction that can cause emotional damage, strained relationships, and ruined lives.


A Journal of Gambling Studies report found that 61% of Americans in the lowest economic quintile were likely to have played the lottery in the past year versus 42% in the top two quintiles. Those in the lowest quintile also bought tickets more frequently (26.1 times in the last year) than those in the two highest quintiles (9.5 and 10.1 times, respectively).


About 25% of gamblers with serious addiction problems manifest manic behavior, and over half report being depressed. Problem gambling has the highest suicide rate of any addictive disorder, with one in five problem gamblers attempting suicide.


In clinical populations of individuals seeking treatment for gambling problems, between 22% and 81% reported suicidal ideations, and between 7% and 30% had attempted suicide.


Compared to the general population, gamblers with serious addiction problems are 3.4 times more likely to attempt suicide. Click here to read more.






Expanding gambling will increase mental health issues.

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 (and 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 funding streams, with politicians 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 increased gambling will become incessant and government expansion will likely follow in its wake.


When money is spent on gambling, it is not spent on other goods and services in the same community; instead, it moves money around. Examples of this “substitution effect” have been documented in Florida, Mississippi, Nebraska, and New York. Mississippi’s experience using gambling revenues for its budget is a cautionary tale for Alabama. Twenty years ago, the Mississippi State Legislature used to plan for casinos to provide almost 5% of the revenue for its General Fund; in 2024, they expect only 2.14%. Gambling revenues have also fallen 16% since 2008 (a drop of 39% when adjusted for inflation) due to internal competition from tribal casinos and the allure of newer attractions in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Alabama’s fortunes would be no better: If the state could raise the tax revenue estimated in Gov. Ivey’s 2020 gambling report, it would equal only 1.6% of the state’s $43.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2023.


Possible revenue is not worth the cost.

Expanding Gambling is a Bad Bet for Families


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.


Advocates claim that current illegal gambling can be solved by changing the state constitution to make what is now illegal legal. Enforcement of current law and/or increased fines and penalties for illegal and unconstitutional betting is a better answer to the current levels of lawlessness in Alabama. Curtailing gambling is an honorable endeavor, the expansion of gambling isn’t. Online gambling—on sports or anything else—would turn every smartphone and device in the state into a portable casino. Where there are more opportunities to gamble, higher rates of addiction and negative societal impacts follow.


States that have legalized gambling experience higher rates of gambling addiction, crime, corruption, addiction, and mental health disorders. With more opportunities to gamble, the negative impact of gambling increases.

Research & Further Information

Gambling is a bad
bet for alabama
report

why a lottery only
isn’t only a lottery

gambling is a bad
bet for alabama

one pager

sports & digital
betting impact on
young men

Gambling is the Wrong
Bet for Alabama,
Especially on Sports
and Smartphones


alabama supreme
court decisions on
gambling

negative impacts of
gambling one
pager

expansion of
gambling is not a
priority for alabama
voters

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