• Birmingham Alabama Poverty Rate 2018
• Birmingham Al Poker
• Birmingham Alabama Posters
• Birmingham Alabama Poverty Level
• Birmingham Alabama Poker Game
• Birmingham Alabama Poker Tournaments

Despite its noticeable lack of a statewide lottery and few commercial casinos, Alabama or the Yellowhammer State as it’s also known, has a booming real money poker and gambling industry. Belmont Poker — $300,000 Woodbine Trillium S. — $125,000 Santa Anita Affirmed S.

Important AL Notes

• Players in AL can play legally at offshore poker rooms
• No activity in the state legislature in regards to iGaming
• Poker is not legal in AL, even in tribal casinos
• Home poker games are legal in the state, however
• Conservatives in AL are pushing to ban existing casinos

Online poker (operation of) is deemed illegal in Alabama and so is that of live poker games. It is not deemed illegal under Federal laws because the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act does not specifically mention playing poker online is illegal. Therefore, it is legal for an Alabama citizen to play at poker sites that operate in a country outside of the US.

Future Outlook of Online Poker in Alabama – Estimated date of legalization: 2020-2021

The following graph tracks our expected legislation of online poker in Alabama on a state law level. It is currently already legal on a Federal level. This graph monitors the current rise or fall of expected legalization.

Recent Activity
There has been no move to legalize online poker in Alabama. At the same time, the legislature has not taken any steps to specifically declare online poker illegal or to enforce existing laws against offshore online poker sites operating in the state. Based on the present situation it seems that legalized online poker will come to Alabama through the Federal route or compacts with other states to allow player pool sharing.

Current Gambling Laws in Alabama

Gambling is covered under Article 2 (Gambling Offenses) of Chapter 12 (Offenses Against Public Health and Morals) of the Criminal Code (Title 13A) of the Code of Alabama[A]. Section 20[B] provides the definitions related to gambling. The material definitions are as follows:

“A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome. Gambling does not include bona fide business transactions valid under the law of contracts, including but not limited to contracts for the purchase or sale at a future date of securities or commodities, and agreements to compensate for loss caused by the happening of chance, including but not limited to contracts of indemnity or guaranty and life, health or accident insurance.”

Advance gambling activity involves aiding any form of gambling activity, primarily including the creation or establishment of the particular game, contest, scheme, device or activity involved. A contest of chance is any contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which, “the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein”. Other definitions include gambling device, lottery, pari-mutuel wagering and player.

Under Section 13A-12-21 (a), “A person commits the crime of simple gambling if he knowingly advances or profits from unlawful gambling activity as a player.” Clause (b) of this section excludes social gambling in a private place. Clause (c) states that simple gambling is a Class C misdemeanor. Subsequent sections criminalize promoting gambling as a Class A misdemeanor, possession of gambling records as a Class A misdemeanor and possession of a gambling device as a Class A misdemeanor. Section 13A-12-31 exempts authorized pari- mutuel betting from the provisions of unlawful gambling. Coin-operated devices for bona fide amusement purposes which, by application of some skill, only entitle the player to replay the game or device at no additional cost are exempted under certain conditions as are crane game machines.

Section 8-1-150 of the Code of Alabama states that contracts founded upon gambling considerations are void and permits recovery of money paid or things of value delivered as gambling losses.

History of Gambling in Alabama

Land Based Poker in Alabama

Home poker games are legal in Alabama as long as they meet the guidelines of social gambling in a private place. The onus of proof of social gambling is on the players.

Though restricted charity gambling is permitted in Alabama, it does not include charity poker tournaments, which are therefore illegal.

Live poker has always been deemed illegal in Alabama because it involves chance, though the statutes do not specifically mention this activity by name. The legality was put to the test in 2007 in a case known as Garrett V. State. Garrett was running a weekly Texas Hold’em poker tournament in which money was paid to players. The objective of the tournament was to bring customers to the business. The court ruled, “Texas Hold’em poker is fundamentally a game of chance. … A player’s skill does not change the fundamental nature of the game.”

Live poker is only legal in home games. Even the few casinos in Alabama do not offer facilities for poker cash games or tournaments.

Gambling Laws in Alabama

Alabama is one of the worst states in America for gamblers. There are few casinos and they do not offer any of the regular table games like poker, roulette and blackjack. They only offer permitted electronic gaming machines. Other than that pari-mutuel wagering and charitable bingo are permitted. Gambling interests including the Poarch Creek Indians are pushing for gambling expansion with legalization of regular casino games. The conservatives in the legislature are strongly in favor of shutting down existing facilities[C] citing illegal operations and social costs of gambling.

VictoryLand in Shorter is Alabama’s only private casino owned by Milton McGregor which opened in 2009. It offers only electronic bingo machines. In 2010, it was closed when Governor Bob Riley threatened to raid the premises on allegations of illegal gambling facilities. The allegations leveled were that many of the bingo machines were actually slot machines, which are illegal in Alabama. In December 2012, VictoryLand reopened to a rousing reception from the public. However, in February 2013, the casino closed[D] again following a raid by the attorney general’s office in which hundreds of gambling machines were seized. After a long court battle, VictoryLand casino reopened once again on September 13, 2016.

Alabama has three tribal casinos under Indian Gaming laws operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The details of these casinos are available here[E]. These casinos also offer only allowed electronic gaming facilities. Though they are in an expansion mode, they are facing a lawsuit[F] that seeks to close them but that will likely not happen.

In 2015, there was a vote on a gambling expansion bill that would have allowed four commercial casinos but it did not advance.

Birmingham Alabama Poverty Rate 2018

Through a 1980 amendment to the state constitution, counties in Alabama can conduct bingo for charitable purposes. The bingo has to be conducted by the charity itself and overseen by the Sheriff of each County or the Chief of Police of a city. Jefferson County was the first to allow bingo halls in 1980. 18 such amendments have since been passed.

Birmingham Al Poker

In 1971, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that pari-mutuel wagering at dog and horse tracks is constitutional. The reason given was that, unlike a lottery, a dog or horse race is not a pure game of chance. It depends on the skill of the animal. Thereafter, four greyhound racing tracks opened in Mobile, Birmingham, Shorter and Eutaw.

In Alabama the oversight of pari-mutuel wagering is conducted by local racing commissions that have been constituted under Chapter 65 of Title 11 of the Code of Alabama. The details of the Alabama Racing Commissions are available here[G]. The first racing commission was established in 1971 in Mobile County. Greyhound racing began there in August 1973. In 1983, Greene and Macon Counties also established racing commissions. The Birmingham Racing Commission was organized in 1984. The Birmingham Race Track[H] discontinued live horse racing in 1992. It offers live greyhound racing and simulcast greyhound and horse racing from all over the country. Greene County’s racing commission discontinued live greyhound racing in 1998 and now conducts only simulcast racing.

Birmingham Alabama Posters

Alabama is one of the few American states that do not have a state run lottery. In 2009, the Democratic nominee for the Governor contested on the plank of legalizing a state lottery and lost. According to a report[I], Representative Craig Ford has continued to push for legislation to pass a state lottery the past two years but nothing has passed. Presently, Alabama citizens buy lottery tickets from neighboring states. Under Section 13A-12-29, the fact that the lottery is drawn or conducted outside Alabama, and is not in violation of the laws of the jurisdiction in which it’s drawn or conducted, is not a valid defense against the illegality of lotteries in Alabama.

Author:Joseph Falchetti (twitter)
(C) Copyright PokerWebsites.com, 2018

References and Citations

Birmingham Alabama Poverty Level

Poker is sweeping the nation. Texas Hold’em poker tournaments are cropping up all across the country and Alabama is no different. Spurred on by the enormous popularity of celebrity poker tournaments on television, poker has moved out of the back room and casinos and into the home. A simple revue of the television schedule will reveal a number of poker events being broadcast, from celebrity Texas hold’em, to high stakes poker tourneys, the popularity of poker just seems to be going up and up. The sports channels are filled with them to the point where they rival NASCAR events! It doesn’t seem to be letting up either. In almost every city there are poker events to attend or participate in and Alabama is no different in this regard. The state has its share of poker tourneys too, all you have to do is check the local papers and you are sure to find some bar, pub or restaurant holding an event. And with a more than a couple of casinos in Alabama, there is always a place where you can enjoy a good game of Texas Hold’em.

There are a few leagues and clubs scattered around the state of Alabama. For instance, you will find a the local poker tournaments put on by ALL IN Alabama to be a great way to meet other locals playing poker and hold'em.

Birmingham Alabama Poker Game

There are a few gambling establishments in Alabama, mostly in the Indian community. All the normal gambling activities can be found in these and most will offer Poker rooms or Poker Tourneys. Texas Hold’em features heavily in these.

With the lack of poker clubs or stand alone poker rooms in Alabama, Texas Hold’em tourneys and poker tournaments are most likely to be found in private residences. All across the state people are getting together to play poker at home with their friends. Where once poker night was merely a guy’s night out, poker tourneys are now this decade’s Trivial Pursuit! Poker is out of the closet and backroom and has now become a social event. On any given Friday or Saturday there are any number of Texas holdem tourneys going on. It is important to note that gambling in Alabama is illegal and playing for money of course is also considered outside the law, so the casual player is cautioned that playing for stakes is a risky venture. Play your friends for chips or some other non-monetary counters in order to stay within the law and you should have no problem.

Birmingham Alabama Poker Tournaments

Prompted by the new-found popularity of poker, charity organizations are now capitalizing on the large draw of Texas Hold’em tournaments and holding their own poker tourneys to bring in the crowds. For a fee, anyone can now join in and enter a tournament and feel good knowing that the proceeds are going to a good cause. Now Alabama’s strict gambling laws put a damper on this somewhat, but charity events can still be found if you take the time to look for them. Most notably, there are poker runs organized by the many biker organizations in the state.