Georgia lawmakers say the chances have by no means been higher of a sports activities betting invoice passing the Basic Meeting, however the Senate this week voted down such a legislative effort.
The College of Georgia soccer group celebrates its nationwide championship on Jan. 15, 2022. The Bulldogs repeated as champions of the Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship in 2023. Regardless of latest legislative efforts, Georgians stay prohibited from legally betting on sports activities contained in the state. (Picture: College of Georgia)
The Georgia Senate voted 37-19 towards Senate Invoice 57 on Thursday. Launched by Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro), the measure sought to permit sports activities betting on-line and in-person at self-service wagering kiosks.
The retail sportsbook terminals would have been out there to companies in alternate for a $10K software payment. The sportsbook operator would have been on the hook for an annual license price of $100K.
Gross income from sports activities betting would have been taxed at 20%. The generated sports activities betting tax income would have been put aside for faculty scholarships and prekindergarten applications.
Whereas many Georgia lawmakers are optimistic about their possibilities of legalizing a sports activities betting invoice this 12 months, some senators stated they voted towards SB57 as a result of it was too far-reaching. Together with playing on sports activities, Hickman’s invoice would have approved pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing.
Georgia is without doubt one of the most restrictive states concerning playing, because the state-run lottery is at the moment the one type of authorized playing. The state doesn’t have any industrial or tribal casinos or iGaming.
New Legislative Effort
With sports activities betting defeated within the Senate, sports activities betting supporters flip to the Home of Representatives, the place two different measures stay alive.
Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville) has filed laws to legalize on-line sports activities betting however not in-person betting or pari-mutuel wagering. The cellular sports activities betting-only invoice was handed favorably this week by the Home Increased Training Committee.
Wiedower’s statute, Home Invoice 380, would additionally use the related tax income from sports activities playing to help training. Sports activities betting receipts would go towards the Georgia Lottery for Training Account, with the Georgia Lottery serving because the regulator of the expanded playing.
If HB380 finds an analogous destiny as SB57 when the Home sports activities betting invoice is taken into account on the chamber flooring, scheduled for Monday, March 6, Georgia’s last hope for sports activities betting in 2023 would come by way of a poll referendum.
Legislative Path
Georgia Republicans who help permitting sports activities betting don’t consider they need to ask voters to legalize playing on professional and school sports activities by way of a statewide poll referendum. Former Georgia Supreme Courtroom Chief Justice Harold Melton backed that opinion earlier this 12 months.
Melton stated the Basic Meeting can increase playing “solely by way of legislative motion.”
Opponents of sports activities betting say a referendum needs to be held to find out whether or not residents need such playing. However the odds of legalizing sports activities betting by way of referendum are significantly longer. The referendum path requires a two-thirds supermajority in every chamber and a easy majority referendum vote.
Home and Senate leaders say there’s not sufficient help to cross sports activities betting by way of a referendum. However as a final resort, sports activities betting backers have launched Home Decision 210.
The Hail Mary decision seeks to provoke a referendum, however once more, two-thirds of the Home and Senate membership would wish to again the invoice to place a sports activities betting query on the November poll.
