Will Alabama Get a Lottery?

Why doesn’t Alabama have a lottery?

Alabama’s constitution has banned lotteries since 1901. Voters rejected a proposed state lottery in a 1999 referendum, and while the Legislature has debated bringing the question back to voters nearly every session since, no bill has passed both chambers and cleared a statewide vote. Alabama remains the only state east of the Mississippi without one.

Any lottery would require a constitutional amendment — a bill passed by the Legislature that then goes to voters statewide. That’s why legislative action, not just public opinion, is what actually moves this forward. See the latest news on where things stand, or find your legislator to weigh in directly.