Auburn legend Charles Barkley says legalized sports betting and a state lottery could generate revenue for Alabama’s public school system.

Charles Barkley says Alabama should legalize sports betting and establish a state lottery, arguing that gambling revenue could benefit public schools rather than continue flowing elsewhere.

Speaking on “The Next Round”, the Auburn basketball legend and NBA Hall of Famer criticized Alabama’s continued resistance to both. The sports talk show, hosted by Jim Dunaway, Ryan Brown and Lance Taylor, shared the clip on October 1.

“That’s just silly. We should have it,” Barkley said when asked why Alabama still does not have legalized sports betting.

“First of all, we should have had the lottery 30 years ago, but it would really improve our public school system,” he said.

Barkley also criticized opponents, asserting that their families do not rely on the schools that could benefit from lottery revenue.

“But you know, those people who block it, their kids don’t go to public school, they go to private school,” he said.

He did not identify specific opponents or provide evidence for that assertion in the excerpt.

Alabama remains without a state lottery or state-authorized sports betting. In 2024, the House approved a broad gambling package that included a lottery, casinos and sports betting, but a narrower compromise failed to win final Senate approval. No gambling bill received serious consideration during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Barkley argued that continued delays leave Alabama behind other states.

“We need sports gambling in Alabama,” he said. “We shouldn’t let these other states get so far ahead of us.”

His argument centered on an activity he said will continue regardless of Alabama’s prohibition: People are already gambling, and the state should capture revenue for public benefit.

“Those programs raise so much money for the school system, and people are gonna gamble,” Barkley said.

https://www.alreporter.com/2026/10/21/charles-barkley-urges-alabama-to-legalize-sports-betting-establish-lottery/