Georgia Sports Betting Dies on Final Legislative Day

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Jul 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) throws against nan Chicago White Sox successful nan first inning astatine Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Despite nan Georgia Senate approving a sports betting measure successful February, efforts stalled successful nan House
A sports betting package ne'er moved retired of committee successful nan last time of Georgia’s legislative session
Legalization efforts will apt prime up again successful 2025

Just arsenic they did successful 2023 and 2022, Georgia’s sports betting hopes were officially dashed during nan last time of nan Peach State’s legislative session.

A Georgia online sports betting package ne'er moved retired of nan House Rules Committee connected sine die, officially ending immoderate dream sports betting proponents had for this twelvemonth arsenic legislators adjourned their convention adjacent to 1 a.m. this morning.

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Lawmakers will apt effort to legalize again successful 2025, but it’s difficult to envision an result that will beryllium overmuch different.

Quick Start, Sluggish Finish

Georgia’s sports betting efforts came retired of nan gates quickly this year, pinch nan Senate approving Sen. Clint Dixon’s (R-45) bill, SB 386, successful early February by a 35-15 vote. Even though Dixon’s measure was amended to see a law amendment for legalization, sports betting momentum was precocious arsenic nan measure moved complete to nan House.

The measure called for nan legalization of online sports betting for 16 licence holders. The authorities group nan sports betting taxation complaint astatine 25% of gross gross and licenses would person costs operators $1 cardinal annually.

Prior to Senate approval, Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-46) passed an amendment to nan measure to require sports betting beryllium legalized done a law amendment.

Cowsert’s resolution, SR 579, required Georgia voters to o.k. a law amendment successful nan November wide predetermination to legalize sports betting. It besides required that 85% of sports betting taxation gross beryllium earmarked for HOPE Scholarship funding, pre-kindergarten funding, acquisition training, and superior improvements, pinch nan remaining 15% of gross beryllium dedicated to a problem gaming money and capped astatine $150 million.

Yesterday, nan bills needed to beryllium moved retired of nan House Committee connected Higher Education, past moved retired of nan rules committee, and placed connected a House almanac for approval.

From there, nan package still faced agelong likelihood for approval. The solution required a two-thirds mostly ballot for approval, nan measure required a elemental majority, and past some would person been sent to nan Senate for concurrence, arsenic they were amended heavy successful committee.

The sports betting package ne'er sewage a chance, however, arsenic it was approved by nan Higher Education committee first point successful nan greeting and moved to Rules, wherever it was ne'er called to beryllium placed connected nan House calendar. The Rules committee met 3 times complete nan people of nan last time of nan session, but ne'er considered nan sports betting bills.

In nan extremity nan support wasn’t there. Rumblings began to trickle retired of nan House yesterday that nan sports betting package didn’t person nan basal Democrat votes to flooded nan two-thirds mostly and nan bills would not beryllium addressed by nan rules committee.

Those rumblings proved correct and nan package died successful committee.

So present we are. Another respective months of discussion, an support successful 1 of nan chambers, and a conclusion connected nan last day. Where does Georgia spell from here?

Will 2025 Be Any Different?

It’s apt that lawmakers will again return up sports betting successful 2025. It has excessively galore supporters and location is excessively overmuch gross astatine liking to beryllium wholly ignored.

But will adjacent twelvemonth beryllium immoderate different? For nan past 3 years lawmakers successful nan Peach State person tried to o.k. sports betting and person each failed. This year, astatine least, it seemed arsenic if a immense mobility connected really sports betting would beryllium legalized had been answered.

Supporters of sports betting successful 2024 seemed to work together early connected successful nan process that a law amendment was nan champion measurement to legalize, alternatively than legalize done a elemental measure and designate sports betting arsenic a lottery game.

“This is nan politically due point to do, erstwhile you make this type of a awesome argumentation displacement successful nan state, to fto nan group vote. Let them measurement successful connected it,” Cowsert antecedently said during a committee proceeding connected his resolution.

But aft nan Senate approval, momentum slowed successful nan House. Disagreements connected what sports betting gross should money began to harvest up, and support for nan package started to wane during committee discussions.

So what will 2025 beryllium immoderate different? It remains to beryllium seen. While nan legalization method seems to beryllium decided on, now it seems arsenic if nan sports betting taxation gross backing mobility still remains.

Maybe pinch a afloat convention worthy of meetings that mobility will beryllium answered and sports betting will yet transverse nan decorativeness statement adjacent year.

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Robert Linnehan

Gambling Regulatory Writer and Editor

Regulatory Writer and Editor

Rob covers each regulatory developments successful online gambling. He specializes successful US sports betting news on pinch casino regularisation news arsenic 1 of nan astir trusted sources successful nan country.

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