Alabama: Does the state have a lottery?
Alabama has no state lottery, and state law treats lotteries as unlawful gambling.
Alabama's criminal code defines a lottery as an unlawful gambling scheme, and "unlawful" means not specifically authorized by law. No law authorizes a state lottery. The state constitution also bars lotteries, so creating one would take a constitutional amendment approved by voters. Lottery amendments have been proposed many times, including in 2026, but none passed the Legislature. The 2026 session ended in April without a lottery vote.
What the law says
An unlawful gambling scheme in which: a. The players pay or agree to pay something of value for chances, represented and differentiated by numbers or by combinations of numbers or by some other medium, one or more of which chances are to be designated by the winning ones; and b. The winning chances are to be determined by a drawing or by some other fortuitous method; and c. The holders of the winning chances are to receive something of value. ... Not specifically authorized by law.
Sources
- Code of Alabama § 13A-12-20 (definitions: "lottery or policy" and "unlawful") Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
- 1819 News: House Dems give low marks for 2026 session, gripe about lack of lottery bill (Apr. 12, 2026) Secondary · 1819news.com
- Alabama Legislature (2026 regular session adjourned April 9, 2026) Official · alison.legislature.state.al.us
Confirm with the state
No contact agency is listed for this state yet. The sources above link to the official text.
How bordering states compare
- Florida Has a state lotteryFlorida runs a state lottery, selling tickets since 1988, whose net proceeds support public education.
- Georgia Has a state lotteryGeorgia runs a state lottery, created by voters in 1992, that funds HOPE scholarships and pre-kindergarten.
- Mississippi Has a state lotteryYes. Mississippi created a state lottery in 2018, run by the Mississippi Lottery Corporation.
- Tennessee Has a state lotteryYes. Tennessee runs a state lottery through the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.