The possibility of legalizing sports betting in Georgia during the 2023 legislative session has been rekindled.
There are now five opportunities remaining for the full Georgia Senate and House to vote on the online sports betting legislation as a result of an unusual legislative move.
Last week, a Senate committee repurposed a bill originally meant to recognize a local soapbox derby. The Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee panel voted 8-1 on Thursday to advance House Bill 237, while including language that would legalize sports betting in Georgia. However opponents of sports betting including Sen. Mike Dugan criticized the strategy employed to connect it to an unrelated bill.
“When you hijack a soapbox derby and put sports betting on the back of it, every person that was on the fence in the state of Georgia has just picked a side of the fence. It will not pass on the (Senate) floor and I think everybody in here knows it won’t pass on the floor, and the damage you have just done to the sports betting industry by trying this is unfathomable.”
Both Republican House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Governor Burt Jones have expressed their willingness to reconsider gambling legislation, following multiple failed attempts this year. Sen. Brandon Beach, who chairs the economic development and tourism committee, expressed gratitude to the lieutenant governor on Thursday for his willingness to give sports betting another chance before the session ends on March 29th.
This year, it appeared that any chance of legalizing sports betting in Georgia had already passed. The Senate dismissed two proposals, which included a basic online sports betting bill supplemented by a constitutional amendment, and another that would permit online sportsbooks and wagering machines at authorized venues. The more expansive Senate bill proposed allowing horse racing tracks, as well as online and on-site kiosks, to accept bets on professional and collegiate sports through mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.
Senate Bill 57 and a related House sports gambling measure did not require a constitutional amendment. Instead, the Republican sponsors relied on an opinion from former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton, asserting that a statewide ballot referendum is unnecessary if the Georgia Lottery oversees gambling activities.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.