- Georgia Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-119) filed a resolution for sports betting this afternoon
- It’s the first sports betting bill to be filed in the House this session
- Rahul Bali of WABE News was the first to report on the legislation
The state is mere days away from the crossover deadline, but lawmakers are still hoping there’s time left to make a run at legalized Georgia sports betting.
As first reported by Rahul Bali of WABE News, Rep Marcus Wiedower (R-119) today filed HR 450 and HB 686, legislation to legalize online sports betting in the state.
The legislation must be approved by the House prior to the Thursday, March 6 crossover deadline or it will be dead for the session.
Wiedower Proposed Sports Betting Bill in 2023
The legislation is not yet available on Georgia’s House of Representative websites, so details are not yet fully public.
According to Bali, Wiedower’s legislation will depend on a constitutional amendment to legalize online sports betting. That requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate, and then approval from Georgia voters in a future election.
Wiedower’s legislation only legalizes online sports betting in the state. According to Bali, the legislation will provide funding for the state lottery’s HOPE scholarship, pre-kindergarten, and a maximum of $22.5 million for problem gambling services.
Wiedower previously proposed a bill in 2023 to legalize sports betting as well. The bill did not require a constitutional amendment and legalized both online and retail sports betting in the state.
It allowed Georgia professional sports teams, a professional sports governing body that holds one or more sanctioned annual golf tournaments on a national tour of professional golf, or the owner of a facility in the state that has held an annual invitational golf tournament for professional and amateur golfers for at least 30 years to hold sports betting licenses.
It will require a concerted effort to move the legislation through the various House committee, and be approved on the House floor, prior to Thursday’s crossover deadline.
Efforts in the Senate for legalized sports betting, so far, have fallen well short.
Senate Sports Betting Appetite Not Yet Evident
The Georgia Senate has yet to display any enthusiasm for sports betting this session.
The Georgia Senate Committee of Regulated Industries and Utilities yesterday roundly defeated SR 131, a proposed resolution to legalize sports betting and casino gaming in the state through a constitutional amendment.
Sen. Carden Summers (R-13), Sen. Billy Hickman (R-4), Sen. Brandon Beach (R-21), and Sen. Lee Anderson (R-24) introduced SR 131 earlier this month.
The bill called for sports betting legalization through a constitutional amendment, which would have put the final approval up to state voters in a 2026 election.
The committee voted 8-2 (the numbers aren’t entirely clear, as it by a hand vote) to defeat the bill.
One bill remains in the Senate, but has yet to be heard in committee. Hickman introduced SB 208 this week, which seeks to legalize online sports betting in Georgia and allow the lottery to regulate the new form of gaming.
It seeks to legalize sports betting through a simple bill, not requiring a constitutional amendment.
A new sports betting bill has been filed in the Georgia House of Representatives, but time is running out for it to be passed before the end of the legislative session. The bill, HB 86, would legalize online and mobile sports betting in the state, allowing residents to place bets on professional and college sports.
Supporters of the bill argue that legalizing sports betting would generate much-needed revenue for the state, as well as create jobs and boost tourism. They also point to the success of neighboring states like Tennessee and Virginia, which have already legalized sports betting and seen a significant increase in tax revenue as a result.
However, opponents of the bill have raised concerns about the potential negative impacts of legalizing sports betting, such as increased gambling addiction and social problems. They also argue that the bill does not do enough to address these issues or protect vulnerable populations.
With only a few weeks left in the legislative session, time is running out for HB 86 to be passed. The bill must first be approved by the House, then the Senate, before being signed into law by the governor. If it is not passed before the end of the session, supporters will have to wait until next year to try again.
Overall, the fate of the new Georgia sports betting bill remains uncertain. Supporters are hopeful that it will be passed in time, but opponents are prepared to continue fighting against it. Only time will tell what the future holds for sports betting in Georgia.