Is Poker Legal In Alabama?

Alabama is probably not the first state that comes to mind when you are thinking about gambling destinations, but it has a somewhat flexible stance, legally, on the topic.

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This shouldn't be that surprising considering that the state lies right along the Mississippi river; home to the river boat casinos that introduced organized gambling to America.

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2. An overview and timeline of gambling laws within the state of Alabama. Includes where to play legally, online gaming and charitable poker.

Does Alabama Allow Home Poker Games?

Alabama's gambling laws have one goal: stopping gambling in relation to organized crime. Because of this, they are tolerant of non-professional gambling as long as it is within the privacy of your own home, and it doesn't cause a public nuisance.

What exactly is non-professional gambling? It means that the host of the game is not running it for profit. If you charge people money to play in your home, or if you rake the pot, then you are breaking the law. To play it safe, don't advertise the game heavily outside of your friends, and don't chase a profit. If you are careful, there is no reason to worry about the legality of your game.

There are a couple of other considerations to consider as well. To start with, nobody under the age of eighteen should be present. Should your game get busted, this can be a serious issue. Also, keep your game out of the public eye. Playing in a restaurant or a library is just asking for trouble.

Do The Casinos in Alabama Offer Poker?

Alabama has some forms of sanctioned gambling. The state lotteries and grey hound dog tracks are the most notable, but they do have 'casinos'. The word 'casinos' is in quotes because they aren't casinos in the typical sense of the word. They are highly restricted casinos, with only a few certain games.

These include digital machines (ie. Slots) and bingo, and not much else. Table games and poker are completely out of the question within this state, so you'll probably want to cross the Mississippi for greener gambling pastures.

Alabama Law and Online Poker

Alabama has, in the past, tried to restrict online gambling, but not of the proposed laws were never passed. At the moment, online gambling is ambiguous, but it's probably mostly risk free. The one thing that we can be sure is illegal, is launching your own online poker room. This is also a matter dealt with by the federal government.

With a combination of the Federal Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the federal government now has more power than ever to reach out and strike back at online poker rooms. These laws strictly prohibit American's from owning and operating online casinos/poker rooms, but they also have some measures to stop players.

While playing poker online in America largely remains legal, it is illegal for banks to deposit/withdraw your gambling funds. Although this law is not very rigorously followed, it does present a problem for some players. If you don't feel comfortable risking the ability to withdraw your winnings at some point in the future, then online poker might not be for you.

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Poker players in Alabama generally have a lot of questions when it comes to the gambling laws of their state, especially whether it’s legal to play online poker in Alabama and where you can play. In this guide to gambling in Alabama, we’re going to cover legal online poker options in AL and then survey a host of interesting facts and resources related to gambling in the state of Alabama.

Update as of 2019

This section is an updated version of the original article. While the the information on this page is correct, some new legislation might be in effect since this page was originally written. We’ve left the orginal article in tact below the new information.

Alabama State Lottery Bill

In May 2015, Alabama State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh pushed for a state lottery. Del Marsh and other proponents argued that a state lottery would be worth $400 million a year to the Alabama Treasury. The Tourism & Marketing Committee approved the bill by a 5-3 vote. The same bill would have allowed the state’s 4 racetracks to have casino gaming. Sen. Bill Beasley, a Democrat from Clayton, called for a voice vote on the bill.

The next month, the State Senate killed the bill by Del Marsh in a wider vote. This led Former Auburn University football coach Pat Dye and former Alabama Power Co. President Charles McCrary to join the Alabama Jobs Coalition, which pushed for a state lottery and racino gambling. Pat Dye and Charles McCrary claimed not only that the bill would generate $400 million in state revenues each year, but it also would create 11,000 new permanent jobs.

Poker Games In Alabama Casinos

Over the course of the summer of 2015, the Alabama Jobs Coalition continued to publicize the bill. In September 2015, Huntsville Sen. Paul Sanford asked the Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee to consider a lottery bill which would approve a state lottery. Under terms of the bill, Alabama would join the Powerball and Mega Million multi-state lottery associations. Del Marsh declined to have the committee vote on the bill, effectively ending any chance of a lottery bill being passed in 2015.

In February 2016, the Alabama House Economic Development and Tourism Committee voted to approve a lottery bill which was supported by Rep. Alan Harper, R-Northport. This bill would approve a state lottery and participation in the multi-state lottery associations. Funds would be shared between the Education Trust Fund and the General Fund. This stripped-down version of the bill is still being discussed. In Alabama’s upper house, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said he would need to see how the funds were allotted before he would say whether he would support the bill or not.

If passed, Alan Harper’s bill would place a lottery referendum on the November 2016 ballot. The likelihood of a lottery passing in Alabama is small, because the state’s leaders have been against such a bill traditionally. Politicians like Rich Wingo and Paul Hicks opposed the bill on social conservative grounds, saying God would not support the state, if gambling were passed. Arnold Mooney opposed the bill on economic conservative grounds, saying such a fundraising method is regressive and it would grow the size of government.

Top Online Poker Sites in Alabama

Poker Games In Alabama

With a number of sites to choose from, Alabamians have their pick of the litter when it comes to online poker rooms. Based on bonus value and room conditions, we’ve selected the top rooms for Alabama online poker players and listed them here.

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• April 26th, 2018

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