Casinos In Alabama – A Look At Brick-And-Mortar Alabama Gambling Options

Yes! However, your options are limited if you’re going to stick with brick-and-mortar AL casinos or gambling venues.

There are only three Class II casinos in the state, along with a trio of very limited “racinos.”

If you want to gamble at a Las Vegas-style casino in AL, the only safe, legal option is to use an offshore casino site like those venues we feature in our AL casinos guide.

Class II gambling, simulcast horse racing betting, and simulcast dog racing betting are legal in Alabama, though other forms of gambling – such as slots, blackjack, poker, lotteries, etc. – are not offered at the domestic level.

Fortunately, there are no AL gambling laws against using legal Alabama online casino sites like those recommended here, so you always have plenty of real-money gambling options available to you.

Kind of. Alabama does have casinos, after a fashion. But these aren’t commercial gambling venues like you’d find in Las Vegas, and they aren’t Vegas-style Class III tribal casinos, either.

Alabama law only allows for tribal Class II casino gambling, which means that games are limited to bingo, raffles, pull-tabs, VLTs (video lottery terminals), EGMs (electronic gaming machines/electronic gambling machines), and HHRs (historical horse racing machines, aka instant racing machines).

Most gamblers do not consider such venues to be actual casinos in the traditional, expected sense.

However, these Class II Alabama brick-and-mortar casinos – along with the tribal-owned Mobile Greyhound Park and two other commercial “racinos” in the state – do at least look the part.

They also offer the requisite dining experiences, host various shows, and have several comfortable lounges and bars.

Overall, these brick-and-mortar casinos/racinos are plenty of fun, but if you live in AL and want a true Vegas casino experience, you’ll need to venture into a neighboring state like Mississippi or visit one of the AL online casinos we recommend here.

Yes and no.

There are no online casinos in Alabama that are actually headquartered in or operate out of AL itself. However, there are several offshore casinos outside of AL and US borders that accept players from the state.

If you want to access legit, real-money online gambling in Alabama, these are the only venues that can give you all the online slots and table games you expect.

The best Alabama online casinos are always just a click or tap away, and you can access them from anywhere in the state, 24/7.

Not really.

Mobile is home to the Mobile Greyhound Park, which is a defunct greyhound racetrack that’s been turned into a “racino” with VLTs, EGMs, and HHRs.

However, there are no proper casinos in Mobile, AL, nor are there any really comprehensive or option-filled Class II Indian casino options nearby.

Technically, there’s only one Class II casino in Montgomery: the Wind Creek Montgomery casino.

However, the Wind Creek Wetumpka casino is only about 20 miles away, and the Victoryland Casino in Shorter, AL, is about 25 miles away.

As such, there are really three decent gambling options when you’re looking for a fun night on the town in the general Montgomery area.

Kind of.

The 777 Birmingham Race Course Casino is a defunct dog track that now operates as a “racino,” though it can’t actually host slots, electronic casino games, or the like.

Instead, the venue has a collection of “slots-like” VLTs, EGMs, and HHR machines.

It’s better than nothing if you want something fun to do in person, but for actual gambling options in AL, the online venues we recommend offer a much better experience.

No. However, Biloxi, MS, is only 115 miles from Gulf Shores, AL.

Biloxi is one of the most popular and best casino districts east of the Mississippi. The vast majority of in-person brick-and-mortar casino gamblers near Gulf Shores, Alabama, travel to Biloxi to play at the biggest and best casinos in the South.

No. Alabama’s Gulf of Mexico presence is comparatively limited geographically, and there are no casinos on or near the AL coastline.

That said, with Biloxi, MS, so close to the region, if you’re willing to drive for an hour and a half, you’ll have access to one of the best casino districts in the world.

Or, of course, you can just hit the beach in AL and play at any legitimate offshore real-money online casino you please.

Best of all?

Shoes and shirt most definitely not required.

We’ve played at each of the Alabama Wind Creek venues over the years, and we rate them about equally.

If you want to “gamble” in person in AL, you can’t really go wrong with any of these locations. Good food, nice atmosphere, friendly folks.

You get the idea.

However, if we’re being totally honest (and we are!), the best casino in Alabama is the one on your phone.

Any of the sites we recommend here are better pure gambling venues than any brick-and-mortar AL casinos, since the state’s Class II facilities simply don’t offer the games we like best and play most.

All the AL Wind Creek casinos are more or less the same, as they’re all Class II tribal casinos.

The same goes for the Victoryland Casino in Shorter as well as the Mobile Greyhound Park and 777 Birmingham Race Course (albeit these “racino” venues have even fewer games).

So, whichever spot’s closest on your phone’s GPS is the place to be.

But as long as you’re using your phone anyway, why not play at actual real online AL casinos, instead?

These sites have better games, are open to all residents aged 18+, have some of the best online casino bonuses anywhere, support crypto deposits and payouts, and are always in the palm of your hand.

You can’t beat that kind of convenience no matter how close you are to an Alabama brick-and-mortar casino venue.

Yes, but not any time soon.

In order for any new Alabama casinos to be built, the state would have to get AL gambling expansion approved by voters in a referendum.

After that, it’s likely that AL exclusivity agreements with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (who own and operate the Wind Creek brand of casino venues as well as the Mobile Greyhound Park) would have to be updated.

If Class III gambling is allowed, that would require a state compact to be signed between AL and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which would add even more time to the process.

A new casino in AL would then need to be constructed, which takes even longer.

It’ll be at least 3-5 years before a new casino is even close to opening in Alabama.

We think so, yes.

However, it’s difficult to say exactly when that will be.

Various lawmakers in the Alabama state legislature have been trying to expand gambling in AL ever since the US Supreme Court overturned the PASPA sports betting ban in 2018.

Unfortunately, as of the 2022 AL congressional session, all proposed new gambling laws have been voted down or shelved.

It’s most likely that any gambling expansion in the state would begin with legal AL sports betting before moving on to proper AL Class III tribal casinos and/or online casinos (aka iGaming).

Of course, since you can always just bet online legally and safely using any top-rated offshore AL casino featured here, the point is mostly moot.

Still, we’ll always keep you apprised of any in-person/brick-and-mortar Alabama casino news, so check back occasionally to stay in the loop.

All Wind Creek Alabama casino locations are Class II tribal casinos.

As such, these Alabama Indian casinos aren’t Las Vegas-style venues and cannot legally feature real-money Alabama slot machines, blackjack games, roulette games, etc.

These venues are instead limited to the types of games covered in the IGRA law under the “Class II” designation.

This means they can legally offer VLTs, EGMs, raffles, AL bingo games, pull-tabs, and other forms of gaming most commonly associated with charitable gambling options in the United States.

The minimum gambling age in Alabama depends on the type of gambling you’re looking for. In most cases, Class II games are allowed to be played by those aged 18 and up.

But in AL, the venues that offer Class II gaming tend to serve alcohol, which means that for all intents and purposes, the legal age to play in AL is going to be 21+ almost all the time.

Of course, if you’re under 21 – or if you just want to play real casino games instead of Class II gambling games – you can join any of the best online casinos we recommend on this page.

Signing up is fast and free, and the vast majority of offshore operators set their minimum age to play at just 18 years old.