Donald Trump Jr. Stirs Gambling Expansion Debate in Alabama Ahead of 2024 Rally

Donald Trump Jr. is turning his attention to Alabama, the Cotton State, in the run-up to his father’s 2024 campaign rally next week. In anticipation of his visit, he has become embroiled in the lively debate surrounding the expansion of gambling within the state. As a passionate advocate in this sphere, he has declared that Alabama lawmakers should make room for voters to express their opinion on an issue that remains hotly contested in the legislature.

A well-publicized legislative deadlock persists in the Alabama State Senate and House of Delegates, with diverse views on the modes of gambling to be authorized entering the spotlight this legislative year. The House of Delegates tabled a proposal to establish up to six commercial and four tribal casinos offering slot machines, table games, and sports betting. In addition, they recommended the establishment of a state-run lottery.

On the other side of the coin, however, the Senate prefers a more restrained approach to gambling, favoring a revised statute to include only three tribal casinos offering slots and table games. This approach also leaves room for seven racinos—facilities that blend a race track with a casino—for slot-like historical horse racing machines. These racinos would operate in the state’s former pari-mutuel greyhound tracks and new facilities. In contrast to the House proposal, the Senate chose to leave out sports betting, although a state lottery was still included.

A conference committee convened last week and endorsed a compromise. The six-member panel endorsed three tribal casinos with slots and table games. Furthermore, up to seven racinos would be allowed to offer only electronic gaming machines, without live dealer tables. Sports betting would remain a no-go for both the racinos and tribal casinos, and the creation of a lottery remained in the proposed deal.

Despite unanimous support in the House of Delegates for the conference committee’s recommendations, the Senate fell a vote shy of the three-fifths majority needed to initiate the referendum. Because the Alabama Constitution currently prohibits such gambling, voters must amend the state’s Constitution to allow the Legislature to legalize these proposed new forms of gambling.

Donald Trump Jr. has voiced a strong opinion on this matter, suggesting that it’s time for the lawmakers in Montgomery to step aside and let the voters have the final say. An apparent contradiction strikes him; why do Alabama lawmakers continually stifle the possibility of retaining billions of dollars by allowing legal betting at home, rather than seeing this potential profit migrate to other states?

Governor Kay Ivey agrees with Trump Jr., having recently expressed that it’s time for the voters of Alabama to express their views. However, the surprising holdout is State Senator Greg Albritton who, despite his progressive stance on legal casino gambling and a lottery, voted against the package in the Senate, stalling the legislation by a narrow margin. His adverse reaction was prompted by the rejection of his provision for a commercial casino for the state’s sole federally recognized tribe—a proposal he hoped would attract interstate players. Overruled and outnumbered, Albritton found himself reluctantly voting “no” despite his pro-gambling stance.