Georgia Sports Gambling Bill Fails in State Senate, Legislative Ambitions Persist
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Looks like the Georgia legislators think they've got a shot at passing a sports betting bill this time around, but the Senate recently shot down a proposed bill on the matter.
On Thursday, the Senate voted 37-19 against Senate Bill 57. This bill, put forth by Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro), aimed to legalize online and in-person sports betting at self-service wagering kiosks.
These sportsbook terminals would have been available at businesses for a $10K application fee. The operator responsibility for an annual license fee of $100K.
Gross sports betting revenue would have been taxed at 20%, with the generated tax revenue earmarked for college scholarships and prekindergarten programs.
Despite optimism among many Georgia lawmakers about legalizing sports betting this year, some senators voted against SB57, claiming it was too expansive. The bill not only covered sports betting, but also authorized pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing.
In Georgia, gambling is highly restricted, with the state solely offering a lottery as the only legal form. There are no commercial or tribal casinos, or iGaming.
New Proposal
With sports betting dead in the Senate, supporters turn their attention to the House of Representatives, where two other bills are still alive.
Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville) has filed legislation for online sports betting only, with no provisions for in-person betting or pari-mutuel wagering. This mobile sports betting-only bill received favorable passage from the House Higher Education Committee this week.
Wiedower’s bill, House Bill 380, would also route the associated tax revenue from sports gambling towards education. Sports betting receipts would go to the Georgia Lottery for Education Account, with the Georgia Lottery acting as the regulator of the expanded gambling.
If HB380 faces the same fate as SB57 when the House sports betting bill comes up for a vote on the chamber floor, slated for Monday, March 6, Georgia's last chance for sports betting in 2023 would lie in a ballot referendum.
Legislative Journey
Georgia Republicans who advocate for sports betting don’t believe they need to put the legalization of gambling on pro and college sports to a statewide ballot referendum. Former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton supported this stance earlier in the year.
Melton stated that the General Assembly can expand gambling “solely through legislative action.”
Anti-sports betting advocates argue that a referendum should be held to determine whether residents want such gambling. However, the odds of legalizing sports betting via referendum are longer. The referendum path requires a two-thirds supermajority in each chamber and a simple majority referendum vote.
House and Senate leaders say they don’t have enough support to pass sports betting through a referendum. But in a last-ditch effort, sports betting proponents have submitted House Resolution 210.
This resolution aims to initiate a referendum, but to put a sports betting question on the November ballot, two-thirds of the House and Senate membership would need to back the bill.
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