Georgia Sports Betting Needs More Democratic Support

With the push for Georgia sports betting officially over for the rest of this year, focus has shifted to what it will take to get the stamp of approval in 2026. The conclusions drawn on this front vary. There are a multitude of factors at play. One, though, unassailable:

There is no chance of sports betting in Georgia getting legalized next year without more sweeping Democratic support.

This will catch many people off-guard relative to political predispositions. Republican lawmakers are generally much more conservative. The Peach State is no different. But the GOP party historically favors capitalism in all of its forms. And sports betting in the United States is nothing if not a revenue-generating machine.

That is why you see so many conservative-leaning states with legalized wagering already in place. Look no further than sports betting in Wyoming. The Cowboy State is considered the most conservative one in the country. And yet, they approved legal sports betting years ago.

To be sure, this isn’t true for all conservative states. We still do not have sports betting in Texas, just as one example. Certain GOP states just have more stringent views when it comes to legalized gambling. There also is not an exact science to political affiliation and active sports betting. Many thought Georgia sports betting would be more of a shoo-in because they have plenty of vocal Democrats. But no state swings further left than California, and they still haven’t legalized sports betting themselves.

Nevertheless, many associate the legalization of Georgia sports with the support of Democrats. And make no mistake, they have sponsored gambling bills for consideration. More recently, though, it’s become clear that the party is a wild card when it comes to Georgia sports betting.

While the legalization of sports betting in general is a tall order, it can be an especially arduous task for states with higher bars for approval. Georgia is one of those states.

The Bar for Georgia Sports Betting Necessitates Bi-Partisan Synergy

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate to pass. In previous years, support from the House has proven to be a non-issue. But both the House and Senate were pretty lukewarm on the latest attempt.

In particular, the temperature check on Democratic support is apparently pretty cold. However, it also does not help that there appears to be a lack of alignment within the GOP, either. As the Associated Press’ wrote:

“Without Democratic votes in Georgia, a constitutional amendment couldn’t achieve the two-thirds majorities needed to pass the state House and Senate. Republicans in the state are far from unified. Some GOP lawmakers oppose sports betting, warning that legalizing sports betting will provide a pathway to addiction, especially for younger gamblers. House Minority Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, said Wednesday that his party wants to prioritize use of any tax money for prekindergarten. That was part of the constitutional amendment proposed by Martin’s committee.

Supporters have argued that Georgians should get a chance to vote, arguing many already bet on sports illegally. ‘I believe strongly — and Georgians by wide margins agree with me — that this change will not only bring in much needed revenue to educate our youngest learners but also provide consumer protections that don’t exist in today’s black market,” State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, the Watkinsville Republican who sponsored the measure, said in a statement.”

On the one hand, seeing scattered support from members on both sides of the aisle can be seen as encouraging. Georgia sports betting will need bipartisan collaboration to get over the hump. But inconsistent bipartisan support is still, well, inconsistent. The lack of alignment doesn’t suddenly become a good thing just it is emanating from both sides of the fence.

Holdout States are Expressing More Concern Over Sports Betting Downsides

In past years, many wrote off Georgia sports betting failure as procedural red tape. Bureaucratic issues take time. Despite the repeated flops, Georgia sports betting would eventually be legalized.

This is probably still the case. Then again, holdouts such as The Peach State have now had more time to ruminate on the impact of sports betting in the United States.

Financially speaking, the widespread legalization is excellent for state revenues. Initial forecasts have the Georgia sports betting market churning out over nine figures’ worth of annual revenue by its third year of operation. That’s a lot of money.

Still, multiple studies have shined a light on a few socioeconomic downsides. Calls to gambling addiction hotlines typically increase by significant margins in markets with legal sports betting. Further studies suggest that it may also be tied to a rise in reported bankruptcies, though these findings require more extensive digging.

The longer Georgia goes without sports betting, the more time officials have to reflect on what might go wrong. And these concerns are clearly strong enough to derail attempts at legalization. Just as some policymakers have more of an open-mind towards sports betting than before, others are more wary of its long-term influence.

This factor is definitely at play with Georgia sports betting. Of course, so is everything else. Lawmakers have differed on everything from Georgia sports betting tax rates, how to spend revenue, and even the legalization method. Getting two-thirds majority approval necessitates bridging the gap on every single possible issue. It’s evident there are many—so many, in fact, The Peach State doesn’t seem likely to legalize sports betting in time for the 2026 election cycle.

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