When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
Beginner friendly
Fantastic odds
Bet $20 Win $200 in Free Bets
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
Count Georgia among the approximate dozen new states with legalized sports wagering on the horizon for the near future.
Their odds increased as Georgia’s House of Representatives Economic Development & Tourism Committee voted 14-6 on Tuesday in favor of a constitutional amendment asking voters in the state whether to legalize sports betting.
As a sequential component, the state Senate passed the measure earlier this month by a margin of 41-10, three votes more than the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments.
Senate Bill 142 and Senate Resolution 135 are proposals that would regulate wagering on sporting events in Georgia. They now proceed to the House Rule Committee next for a vote. These bills will work in unison to provide different purposes and rules for the state to legislate sports wagering.
One of the bills allows for a vote on a Constitutional amendment to permit gambling in Georgia. The other outlines the process and details of how sports betting would operate in the state.
Should both of these bills be approved by the House before the legislature adjourns on April 2, the final step toward legalized sports betting in Georgia will be a statewide referendum in November 2022. With that eventually happening, sports wagering in Georgia could begin approximately January 2023.
Most noticeable on one of the bills is clearly stating that sports wagering in Georgia would be conducted “online-only” similar to neighbor state Tennessee with no retail onsite locations to wager. Georgia voters would need to vote upon that requirement in November 2022.
There are also differences between the overall gambling bill in the Senate and the version that cleared the House Committee for Economic Development & Tourism. One is that the House version did not allow gambling on any college sports. The Senate-approved bill only prohibits wagering on college events that involve universities from Georgia.
The tax rate on the net proceeds from sports wagering for Georgia and how that revenue would be distributed also differ. Under the current version of the House bill, 20% of the net revenue would go to the state. That is an increase from 16% under the Senate bill.
The balance of differences to be discussed involved the distribution of funds and how the money raised would be spent. Many areas and needs have put forth including HOPE Scholarships, pre-K education, rural broadband development, mental health services for underserved areas, and money to attract major sports events. Percentages set aside for those causes are locked into Georgia constitutional amendment proposal in the House.
Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, the House committee’s chairman, said following Tuesday’s vote, If we make it legal, we’ll get the revenue out of it.
As a separate but aligning topic under legislating gambling and new revenue opportunity for the state, the issue of bringing horse racing to Georgia has entered into the mix.
Legislation that could allow for sports betting in Georgia has advanced further this year than ever before, and it maintains a reasonable chance of passing before the 2021 session expires in the coming weeks.
Many believe it does not make sense is to exclude horse racing from current legislation that has passed the State Senate by an overwhelming margin and now awaits action in the State House.
If we can bet on the Hawks or Falcons, why not horses?” argued Dean Reeves and Carl Bouckaert of the Georgia Horse Racing Association in pushing for a 60-day racing season. “Georgia can create a billion-dollar industry with no state support, tax credits, state subsidies or other economic development incentives.
Like sports wagering, proponents of horse racing have stressed that people in the state have bet on horses illegally for decades with bookmakers and more recently through offshore wagering sources. Those wagers taxed could benefit all people in Georgia.
People lobbying support for the legislation say it is a “win-win” creation. The industry isn’t asking for state investment for a racetrack and the upside goes far beyond a new Georgia entertainment destination and additional tax revenues. Georgia can create a billion-dollar industry with no state support, tax credits, state subsidies, or any other economic development incentives.
Betting
North Carolina Sports Betting Legalization Coming Soon?
Betting | 30 May, 2023 | Caleb Tallman
Betting
New York 3rd Party Sports Betting Advertisers & Affiliates Legal Updates
Betting | 24 May, 2023 | Caleb Tallman
Betting
Fanatics Put Betting Promo Merchandise Combo Offer on Hold
Betting | 22 May, 2023 | Caleb Tallman
Bet $20 Win $200 in Free Bets
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
AUTHOR
Larry Gibbs
254 Articles
Larry Gibbs is both a seasoned journalist and a respected online gaming industry consultant. His wry commentary & sharp analysis have appeared in numerous top gaming and sports wagering publications. He has also served as Vice President of US Gaming Services, a marketing research organization with 15 years of experience in US online wagering. He has spoken at noted gaming industry conferences including G2E, GiGSE, and NCLGS.
Email: [email protected]
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call
1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-522-4700 (NV), 1-800-522-4700
(CO,
TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI).
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.