Alabama representative Phillip Ensler discusses gaming legislation during campaign interview

Alabama Rep. Phillip Ensler, who is running for the office of the state's lieutenant governor in 2026, commented that he would use the newfound influence he would gain if he is elected to expand the scope of legal gaming in the state. Ensler specified establishing a lottery in his comments to the Alabama Political Reporter (APR) on Dec. 26. 

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In the APR article by Chance Phillips, Ensler was posed with the question of how he would utilize the office of lieutenant governor if he is elected. He offered up an example of gaming in Alabama as a way that he would try to press the influence the position affords.

"I hear from people all over the state—Democrat, Republican, white, Black, poor, more affluent—that say it's crazy that we don't have a state lottery," Ensler said. "People cross over state lines to buy lotto tickets, and we're missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used for education or could be used for healthcare."

At this time, real money online casino games and most other forms of gaming remain illegal in Alabama. The only legal way to play without leaving the state is to visit the few bingo halls within Alabama's borders.

While having a friendly face in the lieutenant governor's position is preferable to the alternative for proponents of gaming expansion in Alabama, that position comes with limited power. Alabamans who would like to legally use a BetMGM Casino bonus code could still be waiting years. 

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If Ensler is elected, he may have an uphill climb to get a lottery measure to voters in the state. Any form of gaming beyond that could be a non-starter in Montgomery.

Mike Carson of AL.com reports that Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger and Alabama House of Representatives Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter "see no indication that there's enough support to bring up gambling legislation." To establish a lottery, the legislature and the state's voters would need to amend the Alabama Constitution.

However, potential amendments to the Alabama Constitution have to start in the legislature and receive a supermajority (⅔) approval in both chambers. That means nearly all of Gudger's and Ledbetter's caucuses would have to be on board.

Ledbetter himself filed gaming expansion legislation in 2024 that got the necessary support in the House but came up a vote short of the mandatory threshold in the Senate. For that reason, Ledbetter says the onus is on the Senate to propose any change moving forward.

With 2026 serving as an election year for most state offices in Alabama, there could be additional stakes for lawmakers voting either way on gaming expansion proposals. A preferable alternative might be to avoid the issue altogether by not bringing any such motions forward.

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Gaming expansion in Alabama will likely begin with a lottery, but even that could be years into the future at this point. Ensler's potential election to the state's lieutenant governor post might shorten that wait.

Derek Helling