Georgia Sports Betting Study Under Discussion

A new discussion surrounding Georgia sports betting is officially underway in the House Study Committee on Gaming. Depending on how it goes, all future pushes for sports betting in The Peach State could unfold much differently compared to previous talks.

The conversation itself is not too much of a surprise. Legislators have debated the process of legalizing sports betting in Georgia on numerous occasions. No initiative has ever come close to making an electoral ballot and calling for voter input. However, having regular discussions on the matter year in and year out is evidence of interest.

What’s happening now in Georgia’s House Study on Gaming Committee basically attempts to gauge that level of interest, while also identifying some problem areas and swing factors that could impact sentiment in the House of Representatives and Senate during the next round of legislative meetings.

Legislators Seem Focused on Implement Georgia Sports Betting Guardrails

Though Georgia sports betting sits near the top of the agenda, the committee started out by weighing in on Georgia casino gambling expansion. This is fitting. The two industries are inextricably related. Pretty much every state begins with broader casino offerings before delving into sports betting.

During these preliminary talks, consumer safety ranked highly on the list of primary concerns among participants. As Pat Evans of Legal Sports Report writes, this is also a top-of-mind issue when it comes to Georgia sports betting:

“The committee largely discussed casino gambling during the first meeting. If casinos were allowed in Georgia, EchoPark Speedway President Ed Clark said a destination casino resort would be built near the racetrack, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Previous legislation proposed six casinos in the state. Several representatives discussed where they would like to see tax revenue from gambling support, including education and health care. Multiple opponents of gambling expressed their concerns.

“Rep. Marcus Wiedower said he simply wants to put guardrails on industries already happening in the state. Wiedower sponsored a resolution for a constitutional amendment to allow sports betting, which is still alive heading into next year’s legislative session. Along with the constitutional amendment, Wiedower introduced a bill with industry framework that includes 16 licenses and a tax rate of 24 percent on sports betting revenue. The study committee has until Dec. 1 to make recommendations on gambling issues.”

The core arguments being made here are all too familiar. Proponents of sports betting in the United States argue that it capitalizes on an industry that’s already active despite its illegality. They are also quick to note tax revenue can do wonders for educational and healthcare budgets.

The Push for Sports Betting in Georgia Stalled Out This Past Year

Whatever becomes of the House Study discussion, it’ll need to change the contents of the last sports betting package. The Peach State showed little or no interest in advancing this past year’s initiative.

Many chalk this up to a lack of urgency. The legalization of Georgia sports betting will require a constitutional amendment. Since the next general elections don’t take place until November 2026, they are able to sit the conversation until next year.

Still, this logic doesn’t quite pass the sniff test. Georgia sports betting has never seemed remotely close to receiving the stamp of approval from both the House and Senate. It makes more sense to gain a sense of lawmaker sentiment as often as possible. Not voting at all this year could result in the squandering of valuable feedback. A more thorough discussion would have revealed the most problematic areas.

Then again, the House Study committee is trying to bridge that gap now. That will be an encouraging sign for those on board with Georgia sports betting. But this committee isn’t nearly as large as the full breadth of the House and Senate. Any headway made during these discussions will be very much theoretical.

It Does Seem Like Residents of The Peach State Support Legal Sports Betting

While policymaker sentiments appear split, the general public seems to support the legalization of Georgia sports betting. At the very least, they seemingly want the opportunity to vote on it.

A poll conducted by the University of Georgia and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce earlier this year showed that nearly two-thirds of voters supported some form of legal sports wagering. Of the remaining 37 percent, 11 percent remain indifferent or undecided. Advocates are spinning this as around 75 percent of voters at least being open to the idea of Georgia sports betting.

These results must always be taken with grains of salt. Surveys are not always entirely reflective of the entire state. There is a margin for error. Yet, even with that caked in, it sure seems like the issue is worth putting in front of voters.

This is especially true when you consider the year-over-year increase in Georgia sports betting attempts the state logged. According to data from Geomply (h/t Evans), Georgia last year “received 3.7 million checks from 297,239 accounts, a 101 percent year-over-year increase.” What’s more, this data exclusively measures checks during the 2024 NFL season. That is basically from September through the end of January, perhaps with a little bit of February included to account for betting on the Super Bowl. And this means there’s close to seven-plus months’ worth of other attempts not logged.

None of which is airtight proof that Georgia sports betting must be legalized. But the numbers do seem to show voters support it. Whether policymakers take this into account is the question.

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