FanDuel Launch Spurs New Gambling Debate in Alabama
FanDuel unveils prediction platform in Alabama despite ban; renewed debate grows as past bills stalled and lawmakers consider new 2026 proposals
Alabama’s long-running conflict over legal gambling gathered new attention this week after FanDuel launched its “FanDuel Predicts” platform in the State—even though sports betting remains banned under Alabama law.
The platform lets users pay small amounts—from one cent to 99 cents—to make sports “predictions,” operating under Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules rather than State gambling law, WSFA is reporting.
FanDuel Prediction Markets is currently available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels said the move highlights a gap in Alabama’s laws. “There’s never been closed because we’ve never addressed it legislatively to stop it from happening,” Daniels said. “It’s just that by adding sports to it, it creates another loophole.”
Daniels and others argue the State loses potential tax revenue when betting happens outside its legal framework. “Without legislation, … the State will miss out on any possible revenue,” he said.
Alabama’s Constitution still bans most forms of gambling and prohibits a State lottery. The last public vote on a lottery amendment was in 1999, when voters rejected the proposal. By framing their platform as a “predictions” site, FanDuel has neatly sidestepped the current prohibitions on gambling.
Lawmakers have tried repeatedly to break the stalemate. In 2024, the House passed a broad plan that would have created a lottery, some casino gaming and sports betting, but the package failed in the Senate by a single vote.
During the 2025 session, leaders acknowledged the issue but ultimately left gambling proposals off the calendar. Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger said there were “too few votes” to pass a comprehensive bill and that lawmakers needed more time to build consensus.
Reports from the session confirm that lottery and gambling bills were essentially sidelined, even as leaders such as State Senator Greg Albritton said they might return in the future with a more viable plan—or they might not.
As the 2026 legislative session approaches, lawmakers face pressure from multiple directions. Some want a clear framework for legal sports betting, casinos and a lottery. Others—among them Eagle Forum of Alabama—remain absolutely opposed to any form of expanded gambling on moral and economic grounds. Powerful stakeholders such as the Alabama Farmers Federation have publicly opposed gambling expansion, citing both ethical concerns and doubts about its value as a revenue source.
Another bill that died in the 2025 session—HB 41–would have taken a different direction by proposing stiffer penalties for illegal gambling activities.
Supporters of broader legalization argue the legislature must act before more companies enter the market under federal loopholes or residents turn to out-of-State options, as they already do. Opponents warn that without careful debate and clear limits, expanded gambling could create social harms.
