Georgia's Repeated Failure to Legalize Sports Betting in Atlanta

Georgia has repeatedly tried and failed to make betting on sports legal.

Georgia lawmakers have failed to pass a law allowing sports betting again. As a result, the state remains one of the 12 in the US where sports gambling is still illegal.

The Legislative Debate

The lawmaking period in Atlanta finished without any decisions made about sports betting. The House Rules Committee had two proposals to consider, Senate Bill 386 and Senate Resolution 579, but they didn't send them on for further discussion.

The problem was that lawmakers couldn't agree on how to spend the tax money from sports betting. Some of them wanted a specific plan for using the money to help improve things in Georgia, but because they couldn't agree on this, the Democrats wouldn't give their support. This meant they didn't have enough votes to pass the law.

Public Opinion and Polling Data

In 2023, a survey found that more than half of Georgia's voters were likely to back legal sports betting if the tax money helped fund the state's HOPE education program.

Efforts to Make Changes to the Law

Efforts were made to make it easier to legalize sports betting. Senator Clint Dixon thought sports betting should be added to the lottery games so a vote by everyone in the state wouldn't be needed. But other lawmakers insisted that changes to the state constitution were necessary.

Senate Bill 386 was revised, raising the tax rate and introducing a proposal for up to 16 sports betting licenses with a $1 million annual fee each.

Senator Bill Cowsert introduced Senate Resolution 579, which requested voter approval to control sports betting.

Why Legislation Did Not Pass

• Disagreement on tax revenue use
• Requirement for a constitutional amendment
• Resistance from influential religious groups

Thirty-eight states allow betting on sports, but in Georgia, groups like the Georgia Baptist Convention have worked successfully to stop gambling from growing.

What's Going to Happen with Sports Betting in Georgia Soon

With the close of the legislative session, the possibility of legal sports betting in Georgia now pushes to 2025 or later. For updates on this ongoing issue within Georgia's legislature, interested parties can refer to the official website of the Georgia General Assembly here.

The sports betting bills did not pass this year, showing once again how hard it is to change gambling rules in the state because people have different views and some are strongly against it.