Alabama is better than to depend on gambling to fund its

Hear, O children of wisdom and guardians of integrity, the words of Robert J. Bentley, who declared: “Alabama is better than to depend on gambling to fund its government.” These words, though spoken in the halls of modern politics, ring with the tone of ancient virtue. They are not merely about economics—they are about character, discipline, and the moral foundation upon which a state must stand. Bentley, once governor of Alabama, spoke not against chance alone, but against the spiritual poverty that comes when a people trade virtue for expedience, or principle for profit.

The origin of this quote lies in the moral and fiscal debates that swept through Alabama during Bentley’s tenure as governor in the early 2010s. In times of financial strain, many proposed expanding legalized gambling as a means to fill the state’s coffers. But Bentley, a physician by training and a man guided by conservative conviction, rejected this notion. He believed that a government must not fund itself through the weakness of its people, for such dependence erodes both the moral fiber of society and the dignity of honest labor. His words were a stand against a growing trend—a reminder that not all that brings revenue brings righteousness.

His statement touches a timeless truth: a society reveals its soul by the sources of its wealth. To build prosperity upon the losses of its own citizens, to fund schools and hospitals with the money of despair, is to sow decay beneath the soil of civilization. Gambling may promise quick gain, but it often yields silent ruin—addiction, poverty, broken homes. Bentley’s words echo the ancient wisdom of leaders who knew that true strength arises not from fortune’s wheel, but from the steadfast cultivation of industry, virtue, and self-control.

Consider the example of ancient Rome, whose empire once thrived on the labor and discipline of its people. In later years, when decadence replaced duty, the Roman state turned to games and spectacles to placate its citizens. Bread and circuses, they called it—diversions to distract the masses from decay. The treasury dwindled, morality faded, and Rome, once the world’s torchbearer of law and order, collapsed under the weight of its own indulgence. Thus, Bentley’s warning resounds through centuries: when governments feed on temptation instead of productivity, they trade stability for decline.

Yet his words are not a condemnation of leisure or enterprise—they are a call to higher purpose. Bentley believed that Alabama’s greatness lies not in exploiting weakness, but in nurturing strength: in its farms, its factories, its classrooms, its churches, and its communities. His declaration, “Alabama is better,” is both challenge and praise. It says to the people: You are capable of nobler things than dependence. The path of virtue may be harder, but it yields a richer and more enduring prosperity.

In this, Bentley’s sentiment mirrors the wisdom of leaders like Abraham Lincoln, who once said that a nation’s true wealth is “in the working men and women who till its soil and build its homes.” The same conviction drives Bentley’s rebuke: that the greatness of a state is measured not by its revenue streams, but by the moral integrity of its governance. A government must lead by example, refusing to profit from vice lest it teach vice to its people.

The lesson, then, is both practical and spiritual: do not let ease deceive you. The fastest path to wealth often leads to ruin, while the road of principle, though long, leads to true prosperity. Whether as individuals or as nations, we must build upon diligence, not chance; upon integrity, not indulgence. When hardship comes, let us look to our strength, our ingenuity, and our unity—not to the fickle hand of fortune.

So let these words of Robert J. Bentley endure as a testament to the enduring truth that a people’s greatness cannot be gambled—it must be earned. Let every generation remember that righteousness and resilience are worth more than any treasury, and that the surest foundation of government is not gold drawn from vice, but the honor and labor of a free and moral people.