As NFL Season Kicks Off, Alabama Continues to Miss Out on Sports Betting Revenue and Consumer Protections

From the Sports Betting Alliance/Cardinal Consulting Group

September 10

“Unlike illegal operators, legal sportsbooks offer a range of responsible gaming tools, including deposit limits, play statistics, and self-exclusion programs that help fansenjoy the season. None of that is available in Alabama.”

ALABAMA — As football fans across Alabama get ready for the NFL season, the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) today noted that Alabamians who bet on games are unable to do so in legal markets, causing them to either conduct business in other states or bet in offshore, illegal markets. 

Unlike states with legalized sports betting, Alabamians do not benefit from the consumer protections and state revenue that legal, regulated markets provide. Black-market offshore operators do not answer to regulators, provide any of the responsible gaming tools required in legal markets, or return any tax revenue to Alabama.

"Alabamians are already betting on games – they're just doing it without any of the protections fans in legal states rely on, and without a dollar coming back to Alabama," said Joe Maloney, President and CEO of the Sports Betting Alliance. "A regulated market gives customers real tools to set limits and manage their play, and it gives the state a revenue stream that funds its priorities. Alabama has neither today. Legalizing sports betting would deliver both."

In legal, regulated markets, responsible gaming is central to SBA members. Member companies invest tens of millions of dollars each year in tools that help customers make informed decisions from their first login. These tools are built into the customer experience, so they are easy to find and easy to use:

●      Onboarding and education so customers know what tools are available from the moment they sign up.

●      Deposit, wager, and time limits that customers set for themselves.

●      Activity and account management tools that track wins, losses, and time spent on the platform.

●      Cooling-off periods that let customers pause play for a set period.

●      Self-exclusion programs that let customers step away for months, years, or permanently.

●      Direct connections to support through organizations that provide treatment, counseling, and help for individuals and families affected by problem gambling.

In legal states, regulators review and approve every one of these products before they reach the market. Additionally, SBA members also do not accept credit card deposits. Today, Alabamians have none of these consumer protections. 

The offshore operators serving Alabama bettors offer none of these protections. They set no limits, run no self-exclusion programs, and answer to no one. They also don’t contributea dime to state revenue. Neighboring Tennessee, which launched legal online sports betting in 2020, has generated tens of millions of dollars a year in tax revenue, with the largest share directed to public education and a portion supporting mental health programs. In Alabama, that same activity funds offshore operators instead of state priorities.

Legalizing and regulating sports betting would give Alabama what prohibition has not: enforceable consumer protections for fans already betting, real oversight of the operatorsserving them, and a new revenue source that today leaves the state entirely.

For more information on the tools SBA members have made available, please visit https://sportsbettingalliance.org/responsible-gaming/.

About the Sports Betting Alliance

The Sports Betting Alliance is an advocacy organization dedicated to legal, regulated online sports betting and online gaming in the U.S. SBA members are licensed to operate in states and jurisdictions where sports betting is legal, ensuring strict compliance and promoting state-of-the-art responsible gaming tools. Members include bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel.