Legislators Remain Optimistic a Georgia Sports Betting Bill Can Pass by 2026

Another attempt to legalize Georgia sports betting flopped during the latest round of state legislature meetings. And after seven consecutive years of failure, you might think optimism is waning among the biggest supporters.

You might think that. As it turns out, though, you would be wrong.

Writing for Esports Insider, Viola D’Elia says that a number of lawmakers believe sports betting in Georgia can still appear on the 2026 electoral ballot:

“For Georgians, the failure of its lawmakers to progress the issue toward a vote to legalize betting will now have to wait until the next legislative session in 2026. Nevertheless, campaigners remain upbeat that a referendum on the topic could still make the 2026 ballot, which would present an opportunity for voters to approve the lucrative expansion of sports betting in The Peach State.”

This will come as a welcome outlook for Georgia sports bettors. And yes, there are, in fact, Georgia sports bettors. The state may not have legalized wagering, but residents still partake. If they aren’t visiting a trusted offshore site like Bovada or BetOnline, they will cross bordering state lines to bet on sports in Florida, Tennessee or North Carolina.

Still, not everyone will take these thoughts at face value. Yes, Georgia remains among the most persistent states when it comes to the discussion of legal sports betting. Seven consecutive years’ worth of debates is nothing if not proof of interest. But the absence of an approved measure also speaks volumes. And it’s loudly stating that opposition to Georgia sports betting remains strong. The task at hand is identifying the biggest points of contention, and seeing whether they can be assuaged.

A Bunch of Different Factors Continue to Drive Georgia Sports Betting Opposition

Whenever sports betting initiatives fail, we are conditioned to look for a singular force behind its deflation. Oftentimes, though, the opposition is more complicated—layered with numerous objections. As D’Elia explains, the case of Georgia sports betting is no different:

“Opponents of legalization have raised fears, backed by recent data, that legalizing sports betting would open the door to increased gambling addiction rates, particularly among younger gamblers in the state. However, the political pushback mirrors other states like Texas and Minnesota, where constitutional headwinds also curtail any progression. 

“Another possible factor in Georgia’s ongoing struggle to move the issue forward is as a result of a lack of consensus on how the industry should be regulated. Here, the apparent divide stems from a debate about how resulting tax revenues were likely to be allocated, with advocates pushing hard to fund key educational programs like pre-kindergarten and HOPE scholarships.”

That is a lot to digest. Which is sort of the point. It speaks to just how many obstacles Georgia sports betting must still overcome.

Revenue allocation seems like the easiest issue to tackle. Concessions can be made to direct funds toward all different types of programs and initiatives. The Peach State can also adjust proposed tax rates. This way, the pie from which they’ll be cutting revenue pieces is bigger.

Concerns over gambling addiction are both valid and tougher to overlook. Other states rationalize legalization by creating problem gambling funds, and by arguing a domestically regulated market is safer than offshore and black-market betting.

Supermajority Support is the Biggest Georgia Sports Betting Obstacle of All

Constitutional hurdles referenced by D’Elia, meanwhile, are an altogether different beast. Georgia requires supermajority approval for certain amendments. In this case, it seems, any Georgia sports betting ballot initiative would need 60 percent or 66.7 percent of congress members to endorse it.

This is a huge bar to clear. Even if you iron out most of the key issues, it is difficult to appease a supermajority. And this bar for entry, specifically, has derailed other ballot measures in the past.

Of course, Georgia can always seek to legalize sports betting without a constitutional amendment. Rather than send the measure to voters after supermajority approval, they would need a simple majority (more than 50 percent) to sign a bill into law.

However, traveling this path has already been discussed and debated. The general consensus is that, while appealing, it may restrict what legalization looks like. For starters, any legalization of Georgia online sports betting would mandate a constitutional amendment.

Approving only retail wagering isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. We have seen states such as Wisconsin and Florida negotiate gaming compacts with tribal nations and avoid the constitutional amendment logistics. Georgia’s appetite for this direction appears to have increased in recent years. That may be why certain policymakers believe legalization can be achieved next year.

This Issue Appears to Go Well Beyond Logistical Questions

At the same time, even his direction runs up against the majority issue. Never mind a supermajority. We have little evidence to suggest that even slightly more than half of Georgia lawmakers would support a bill. Certainly, there would have been more discussion about sports betting during this year’s legislative meetings if that were the case.

By that logic, it appears opposition in Georgia isn’t just over whether to let online sports betting sites in the United States enter the market. Opposition seems to be focused on the act of sports betting in general. That type of sweeping push-back takes time to reverse. So if we had to, we would, ahem, bet against the Georgia legislature approving any sort of sports wagering bill over the next year.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: