Tommy Tuberville’s Campaign Receives $300K Donation From Sweepstakes Operator VGW

Tommy Tuberville widened his fundraising edge in Alabama, yet the more interesting angle sits outside the usual horse-race numbers. A state that still blocks most gambling now has a governor candidate taking money tied to an online sweepstakes company while a separate push in Montgomery tries to give voters a say on lottery, casinos, and sports betting.

Good to Know

• Tuberville reported $581,377 in March contributions, including $30,000 from VGW Luckyland Inc, also know from Chumba Casino.
• Alabama still limits legal gambling largely to Poarch Band of Creek Indians properties and remains one of five states without a lottery.
• SB257 from Sen. Merika Coleman would let voters decide on a lottery, casinos, and sports betting if lawmakers first clear the measure by a three-fifths vote.

Alabama Gambling Debate Gets Pulled Into The Governor Race

The donation is only $30,000, but it carries more weight than the number suggests. VGW Luckyland sent that money into the Tuberville campaign even though Alabama remains a hard market for gambling expansion and sweepstakes casinos have run into pressure in multiple states. That is why the contribution stands out. It looks less like a bet on current law and more like a bet on who could shape future law.

Robert Jarvis put that idea in plain terms. He said:

“VGW is looking to the future and hoping to buy good will with a candidate who may in the future be in a position to help change Alabama’s gambling laws.”

That quote lands against a familiar Alabama backdrop. The state still has no lottery, and legal gambling remains narrow. Tuberville has said gambling expansion belongs with the legislature rather than the governor office, while his campaign did not answer questions about the VGW money. The company also declined to comment, according to reporting summarized by Covers and other Alabama outlets.

The political timing is not bad for Tuberville either. Alabama Daily News reported he raised $581,377 in March, while Doug Jones brought in $175,387 for the Democratic side. That leaves Tuberville well ahead heading toward the May 19 primary and the Nov. 3 general election.

Elsewhere in Montgomery, the gambling conversation is moving on a different track. SB257 from Sen. Merika Coleman would not build a full gambling code right away. Instead, it would ask lawmakers to first send a constitutional amendment to voters so they could decide whether Alabama should allow a lottery, casino gaming, and sports betting. Only after that would lawmakers return to write the finer details, including any compact talks and regulatory structure.

That design says a lot about where Alabama still is. Backers know a full package is hard to pass, so the first goal is simply getting the question onto the ballot. Coleman has tied the effort to budget strain and has pointed to polling that shows broad support for letting voters decide on a lottery. Alabama last voted on a lottery in 1999, and that proposal failed 54% to 46%. A 2024 effort also fell short by one vote in the legislature.

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