Waters said that he plans to take a firm stance on gambling, calling it an issue he feels strongly enough about to stand by at all costs
Alabama’s Senate battle is heating up, with the theme of discussion this time being the legalization of gambling in the state. Alabama Senate District 22 candidate and political newcomer Terry Waters is taking a firm stance against any proposals to expand legal gaming in the state if he wins the election. State Senator Greg Albritton, who has spent nearly a decade as the Alabama Senate’s lead author of comprehensive gaming legislation, is Waters’ main opponent on the matter.
First-Time Candidate Terry Waters Stands Firm Against Gambling
Waters said that he plans to take a firm stance on gambling, calling it an issue he feels strongly enough about to stand by at all costs. He also made clear that he would not support a statewide vote on the matter.
Waters, who serves on the board of the Baldwin County chapter of the Alabama Farmers Federation and has been endorsed by the organization’s chapters in Baldwin, Mobile, Washington, and Escambia counties, said he initially entered the race undecided and open to what he described as a “clean lottery bill.”
He later concluded that such a proposal does not exist, stating that all forms of gambling are interconnected. He also argued that legalizing gambling in the state would lack sufficient oversight and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
Alabama Has a Difficult Relationship with Gambling
Senator Greg Albritton has been a strong proponent of introducing gambling in the state. He sponsored a wide-ranging 2024 proposal that would have allowed a state lottery, up to seven casinos, electronic gaming machines, and a compact with the Poarch Creek Indians. …