In late 2026, NBA legend Charles Barkley publicly advocated for the sports betting industry’s push to establish a state-sanctioned market in Alabama.
Despite Barkley’s well-documented history with self-described problem gambling and millions of dollars in gambling losses, he says the state where he was born and played collegiate basketball should pass legislation.
“We need sports gambling in Alabama,” Barkley told The Next Round in a video segment that included a logo for the Sports Betting Alliance, an industry lobbying group. “We shouldn’t let these other states get so far ahead of us.”
“People are going to gamble,” he continued. “Why not the state and the people profit from it? So yeah, we should have had it a long time ago.”
The upcoming 2027 Alabama Regular Legislative Session is scheduled to begin on Feb. 2, 2027. The prefile date for legislation is Dec. 1, 2026. The industry and its supporters have tried for years to legalize sports betting in the state.
Barkley Against The Tide
Barkley’s suggestion that Alabama residents would financially benefit from legal sports betting is hard to square with the evidence. Nearly all sports bettors lose money in the long run, and there is no reason to believe the state’s economic position is being meaningfully weakened by not having a commercial sportsbook market.
He’s making an argument that fewer and fewer Americans are buying into.
In 2026, more Americans oppose legal sports betting than support it, according to a recent Ipsos poll. For the first time since Ipsos tracking began in 2023, more Americans oppose (44%) than support (25%) allowing online or app-based sports betting in their state. The same holds for sports fans (47% oppose vs. 31% support).
Moreover, a Pew poll from October 2025 showed a steep decline in approval since 2022, especially among younger men.
Federally-sanctioned sports gambling is also controversial. Reuters/Ipsos polling on prediction-market sports betting from September/October showed just 29% of Americans supported it and 43% opposed it.
In a more concrete example of opposition: Voters in Nebraska this month rejected online sports betting despite roughly $23 million in industry spending to persuade voters to approve it.
Americans appear increasingly aware of the possible social drawbacks of legalization. Numerous studies have linked legal sports betting to various harms to individuals and families.
Sports betting generates tax revenue, but its contribution to overall state budgets is modest, and the economic case for legalization weakens when you consider potential social costs. Research has also raised questions about whether legalized sports betting diverts spending from other taxable activities, including state lotteries. Alabama does not currently have a lottery, and Barkley also advocated for that.
Barkley and FanDuel
Barkley has long promoted FanDuel Sportsbook. In December 2020, FanDuel announced a deal making Barkley a brand ambassador.
The agreement included integrating FanDuel promotions into TNT’s NBA coverage, Barkley making betting predictions, participating in advertisements, and producing social media and podcast content. He has promoted bonus bets and same-game parlays.
He also frequently used the product. In May 2025, Barkley raised eyebrows when he said on an NHL-related broadcast, “FanDuel only lets me bet so much so I gotta have a bookie on the side.”
He again generated controversy in October 2025 when he categorically dismissed addiction as a possible component of recent gambling-related scandals involving NBA players.
“This ain’t got nothing to do with addiction. These dudes are stupid,” Barkley said on ESPN.
Tension With Industry Relationship
Barkley continues to gamble despite publicly acknowledging his own difficulties with it. Still, he has criticized numerous aspects of the industry, raising contradictions about his support for expansion into Alabama.
There is no indication that Alabama would regulate the industry any better than other states, with the current regulatory status quo helping fuel a “new opioid crisis,” as former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams described the boom in betting.
Over the years, Barkley has pushed back. Some examples:
– 2021: He expressed concern that lower-income people could lose their homes and families through gambling.
– 2022: He said there was too much sports gambling and raised concerns about in-game wagering.
– 2023: Although defending betting generally, he said growth had gotten out of hand, especially microbets.
– 2024: He criticized the negative effects of gambling on athletes and the harassment they face from gamblers.
Why It All Matters
Barkley is one of many sports figures to endorse legal gambling or encourage people to bet. But his advocacy for Alabama legislation raises alarm bells because he has acknowledged gambling addiction.
His recent statements also come at a challenging time for the sector. National polling has revealed substantial public disapproval, and Nebraska voters recently rejected online sports betting in a David-vs.-Goliath spending fight.
Sports betting companies have spent years using the credibility and familiarity of professional athletes in advertising. In Barkley’s case, those same qualities are being used to advance expansion.
Barkley is entitled to talk about gambling. But Alabamians should scrutinize his commercial relationship with the industry and the lack of evidence behind his promises of economic benefits.
