Alabama Lawsuit Cracks Down on Online Gambling Games

Alabama is known for having extremely tough laws towards various forms of gambling. This is one of the few states that seems interested in cracking down on internet gambling platforms. Recently, a lawsuit was made in Alabama to crack down on online gambling games.

Today, we’ll take a look at exactly why this decision has been made. We’ll also talk about how this could affect Alabama’s gambling laws moving forward.

Let’s get into it!

Alabama’s Current Gambling Laws, Explained

Most of the Southern United States have laws that are tough on gambling. Alabama is known for having some of the strictest gambling regulations in this part of the country. There are very few options available for casino and sports betting fans here. Only four Native American-run casinos are operating in the state.

Interestingly, Alabama’s main set of laws towards gambling were formed all the way back in 1901. Essentially, these laws define illegal gambling as any game offering the potential for financial gain. Even games of skill like poker are prohibited here outside of the tribal casinos.

Since 2018, every state has been able to set its own laws towards sports betting. Many hoped that Alabama would quickly approve sports betting legislation. That has not turned out to be the case. Alabama’s lawmakers have shut down all of the attempts to begin regulating sports gambling.

Alabama does not currently have any laws set in place that specifically mention online gambling. The same laws set in place to monitor land-based gambling apply to internet gambling. Most feel that means gambling online is prohibited here.

There are a huge number of great online gambling sites in Alabama operating right now. These are based in other countries and offer a wide variety of different gaming options. Some even believe that online casino gambling could eventually become state-regulated in the near future.

Any online gambling platforms in Alabama that operate from within the United States are in trouble. News is now coming out that federal lawsuits have been filed against apps that act as gambling platforms.

New Federal Lawsuits in Alabama Target Online Gambling Games

Alabama does not embrace the gambling industry. For a time, however, it seemed as if the state’s stance was changing. That doesn’t mean the leaders here are turning their heads to what seems to be clearly illegal gambling platforms.

This week, news broke that two federal lawsuits have been filed asking for refunds to Alabama residents that lost money playing online gambling games. This lawsuit is being filed against both Google and Apple, which featured this game in their app stores. Lawmakers seem to feel these games break the state’s laws.

These are slot-style games that are played using free “coins.” If a player losses coins, they’re able to purchase more. More than 200 of these types of games have been listed in the lawsuits against Google and Apple.

One of the statements in the lawsuits compares these apps to casino games.

“Apple and its chief mobile device software competitor, Google, both allow customers to purchase games that are no more or no less than casino-style slot machines, casino-style table games, and other common gambling games,” the statement said.

It’s an interesting development for the gambling industry in Alabama. We’ll need to wait and see what kind of impact it makes over the next few months. Make sure to stay tuned for updates!

Will Alabama’s Gambling Bill be Approved This Year?

For many years, Alabama seemed to be ignoring the gambling industry. While other states began regulating their sports betting and online casino industries, nothing was changing over in Alabama. That was until March of this year when an expansive new gambling bill appeared here.

Under this new bill, the state could finally see a lottery, full-scale casinos, and sports betting become available. It was the largest gambling bill ever presented here. Unfortunately, it’s still unclear if this will be approved this year.

For this bill to pass, it would need 63 votes from the state leaders. There’s no telling when it’s up for a vote, though. Gambling proponents here are pushing hard for Governor Kay Ivey to push this bill forward before November rolls around.

Most agree that Alabama would profit massively with expanded gambling options. States like New Jersey continue to set records with their sports betting industries.

For now, it seems that Alabama is cracking down on online gambling games being offered through the Google and Apple app stores. Time will tell if the state begins pushing harder to expand its legal, regulated gambling options.

Are you surprised to hear these lawsuits being made? When do you expect more gambling options to become available in Alabama? Let us know in the comments section below!