The Georgia Senate ed sports betting legalization proponents. SR 579 and its enabling legislation, Senate Bill 386, could bring legal online sports betting to Georgia should it through the House and receive approval from the state’s voters in November.
“This is to give the voters an opportunity to speak on the issue,” Sen. Bill Cowsert said.
The bill could bring up to 16 sports betting apps to Georgia, and professional sports franchises and venues — including the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta FC, Atlanta Dream, Augusta National, the PGA Tour, and Atlanta Motor Speedway — could apply for online sports betting operator licenses. The Georgia Lottery could apply as well, and there would be an additional seven standalone operator licenses awarded via an open application process.
Operators would pay a 20% tax on adjusted gross income and a $100,000 application fee, as well as an annual renewal fee of $1 million. The majority of tax revenue — 80% — would benefit Georgia’s educational system, while 15% would be earmarked for problem and responsible gambling measures. The final 5% of tax revenue would go toward attracting major sporting events to Georgia.
House a major hurdle 3j5l43
Legislation ing through the Senate is an improvement from the 2023 legislative session, when Georgia sports betting bills quickly stalled on numerous occasions. While the bill receiving in the Senate is a positive sign, the House has historically presented a stiffer challenge.
There are likely to be debates about the bill itself in the House, but the topic of gambling expansion also brings out plenty of detractors in Georgia. There are moral concerns about gambling in the state, which were evident Tuesday.
After SR 579 advanced to the House, Georgia Baptist Public Affairs Representative Mike Griffin posted a video to social media decrying the age of the resolution.
“It’s not over yet,” Griffin said. “It’s important for you to reach out to your state representative and ask them to vote no on any state-sponsored predatory gambling, which is basically nothing but legalized fraud. It’s going to increase the social, the mental, the economic issues in our state.”
Sports betting proponents in the legislature have about a month — Georgia’s legislative session ends on March 28 — to convince other legislators to back the bill. They’ll need to overcome the moral concerns about betting held by some lobbyists and legislators.
