Gambling PACs Pour Over $2M Into Alabama Campaigns Ahead of Future Push
Out-of-state gambling interests have funneled more than $2 million into Alabama political campaigns through multiple PACs
Major gambling interests are investing heavily in Alabama politics. Out-of-state PACs linked to sports betting operators have donated millions of dollars to state candidates since January 2025. No gambling legislation is expected to pass this session, as it has repeatedly stalled in previous attempts.
But the spending signals that pro-gambling forces are already building toward the next opportunity.
How the Money Is Moving
The Montgomery-based SV&B PAC sits at the center of the spending. It has donated $718,500 to multiple state candidates since January 2025. The Sports Betting Alliance, a lobbying group representing DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, BetMGM, and Fanatics, donated over $1.25 million to SV&B PAC during that same period.
The top five recipients of SV&B PAC contributions are State Sen. Jay Hovey at $50,000, Senate candidate Doug Harwell at $45,000, State Sen. Chris Elliott at $40,000, Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger at $35,000, and State Rep. James Lomax at $30,000.
SV&B PAC is not alone. The Sports Betting Alliance also donated over $300,000 to the North Alabama PAC over the past two years.
Lomax separately received support from the American Conservative Fund. Federal Election Commission records show that the organization received $500,000 from Win for America. Win for America itself received a $2 million donation from DK Crown Holdings, the corporate entity behind DraftKings.
Tribal interests are also active. The Poarch Creek Band of Indians created its own PAC and donated $190,000 to state lawmakers since November 2025.
Critics Call It Influence Buying
The donations have drawn sharp criticism. Former state Sen. Rusty Glover is running against Harwell in the Senate District 34 race. He accused gambling interests of targeting candidates they believe they can influence. He said the spending is aimed at doing the wrong thing for Alabama citizens.
Former U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks is challenging Lomax in House District 20. He went further. He described the multi-PAC structure as money laundering designed to obscure the true source of the donations.
Recipients Push Back
Several of the lawmakers who received donations say the money has not changed their positions. Hovey said his gambling votes will be based on common sense, not contributions. He supports letting voters decide on expansion. He noted that many of his constituents already drive to Georgia to buy lottery tickets.
Lomax said outside spending does not affect his vote. He said he will vote against gambling expansion. However, he acknowledged that prediction markets like Kalshi are already operating in Alabama. Elliott said interest group donations are common in politics.
He said he votes based on his conscience and conservative beliefs. Gudger said it has been 27 years since the last gambling referendum. He believes voters deserve another chance to weigh in.
Why the Senate Is the Target
The PAC spending is heavily concentrated on Senate races. That is not an accident. Alabama came within a single vote of sending a gambling expansion referendum to voters in 2024.
The House passed a comprehensive bill covering a lottery, commercial casinos, sports betting, tribal Class III gaming, and a new regulatory body. The Senate rejected that version. A conference committee produced a compromise. The compromise failed by one vote in the Senate.
In 2025, momentum stalled further. No bill advanced. The current 2026 session ends March 27. Several bills have been introduced, including SB 257, which would put a lottery, commercial casinos, and online sports betting to a voter referendum, and HB 448 and HB 449, which target a standalone lottery. None have moved.
Pro-gambling PACs appear to be playing a longer game. By backing Senate candidates now, they are positioning for the next legislative cycle. The Senate has been the decisive obstacle twice. The spending pattern reflects exactly that lesson.
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