Georgia sports betting drive dead in the water after bills fall flat
Crucial deadline sees multiple bills voted down with both House and Senate action
Hopes of legalized sports betting in Georgia during 2023 were dealt a hammer blow by legislators voting down a series of bills pushing the vertical in the Peach State.
Senate resolution 140, which would have authorized the vertical via constitutional amendment, fell by a vote of 30-26, short of the two-thirds majority required to pass in voting through the Senate on Monday evening.
An amendment to the resolution, including horseracing and casino gambling also failed to pass through the Senate, once again being voted down.
Senate bill 57, which would have allowed for up to 18 mobile sports betting licenses while also sanctioning fixed-odds horseracing, and classifying sports betting as a lottery game, failed to pass a Senate vote last week, despite being approved at a committee level.
Senate bill 172, a similar bill in make up to 57 has been tabled, a move which effectively kills the legislation’s chances of progression during the current legislative session.
The voting bloodbath leaves Georgia with two main hopes for sports betting legalization this term, house bills 380 and 210.
House bill 380 would see a 25% tax placed on sports betting revenue, with proceeds going to local education-based causes.
The bill places would put responsibility for regulation under the Georgia Lottery, something envisioned a to take advantage of a loophole which would allow sports betting without constitutional amendment.
The bill allows for the licensing of up to 16 online sportsbooks under so-called type one licenses, however, nine of these are set aside for named sports franchises operating in the state, namely, the Atlanta Falcons, Braves, Dream, Atlanta FC, and the Atlanta Hawks, as well as the PGA Tour, Augusta National, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Michelin Raceway.
A popular piece of legislation, HB 380 has gained the support of operators as well as the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, which has spearheaded its charge at a legislative level.
House resolution 210 would authorize sports betting via constitutional amendment and pari-mutuel betting and casino gambling in the state, as well as providing for its general regulation.
At present, this legislation is still with the House Regulated Industries Committee for consideration.
Similar efforts to legalize sports betting in Georgia have failed to pass during the 2022 legislative session following extensive lobbying in the state.