Georgia Will Not Have Legal Sports Betting in 2023

Stetson Bennett of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates a touchdown against the LSU Tigers during the third quarter in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images via AFP.

Hopes for the legalization of sports betting in Georgia have been dashed.

The 2023 legislative session in Georgia has concluded without a plan in place to introduce a new platform this year. House Bill 237, the final attempt to do so, did not make it to the Senate floor for a vote.

Getting legal sports betting approved in Georgia has been a major challenge. Despite five different bills being proposed during the 2023 legislative session, all of them were ultimately rejected.

The next opportunity for Georgia bettors, the state’s sports teams, and the tax coffers to benefit from a regulated and taxed sports betting platform will be in the 2024 legislative session.

The fight in Georgia

For years, Georgia lawmakers have been discussing the best way to establish a legal sports betting platform. Some argue that a constitutional amendment is needed, while others are trying to find ways to implement it without a vote.

The Georgia legislature recently rejected the latest proposal, Bill HB 237, which aimed to link legal sports betting with the official soap box derby of Georgia. Despite attempts to push the two-page bill through by adding legal sports betting, it ultimately failed to pass during the 2023 session.

There is a belief that Georgia’s well-known soap box derby event was taken over by individuals with the ulterior motive of pushing through a legal sports betting bill this year. HB 237 was the final sports betting bill to be presented and ultimately turned down in Georgia in 2023.

The bill would have approved 16 retail and mobile sports betting operators in the Peach State, with regulatory duties taken on by the lottery corporation. The tax rate would have been set at a state-friendly 22%.

What’s at stake in the Peach State

Georgia ranks as the 8th most populous state in the U.S., boasting a population of nearly 11 million residents. Additionally, the state is known for its vibrant underground and black market gambling industry.

Each year, an estimated $1.5 billion is illegally wagered on sporting events in Georgia. Despite the clear evidence of sports betting activity in the state, politicians have yet to capitalize on the potential tax revenue stream that has already been legalized in 37 other states.

During a failed attempt to legalize sports betting in Georgia in 2022, former Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin pointed out that billions of dollars were being wagered in the state without any tax revenue or benefits for the state.

Tax revenue from legal sports betting, which was intended to fund prekindergarten classes and HOPE Scholarships for students in Georgia, will not be available due to lawmakers’ inaction on a sports betting platform. This is just one example of the negative consequences of their failure to act.

Georgia teams, fans missing out

Executives from Georgia sports teams are urging for the implementation of a legal sports betting platform.

Georgia has teams in three out of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and also boasts a strong following for college sports. However, the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, and Atlanta Hawks, along with their loyal fans, are feeling neglected compared to other teams in their leagues.

Profitable sponsorship agreements and fan engagement initiatives are currently postponed in regions where legal sports betting is supported.

What’s next?

Georgia bettors and fans of Peach State sports teams will have to continue to wait until the 2024 Georgia State legislative session for any progress on legal sports betting. The lack of resolution in 2023 means there is still no clear pathway to legalization, leaving the issue as uncertain as it was before lawmakers convened this year.

Could 2023 have been a missed opportunity? It’s possible. Governor Brian Kemp, who was previously against legal sports betting, had indicated that he may reconsider his stance if a bill was approved by both the Georgia state House and Senate.

Once again, Georgia bettors must wait and see if legislators can reach an agreement by 2024 to bring the state in line with 37 others on sports betting. Despite strong support and efforts for a legal platform, lawmakers remain a barrier to progress in Georgia.

Written By:
Perry Sandra

Perry Sandra and betting go hand-in-hand. Both are characterized by “odds”. Dave fancies himself as one of the most dedicated sports and pop-culture junkies around, to the chagrin of his family and friends. Following sports for 50 years and writing about it for 20, Dave hasn’t found a sport yet that can’t contribute to 2-3 straight hours of couch time. That search remains ongoing. As a good old Canadian boy, hockey is in Dave’s heart, as is curling sadly. But evolution is a real thing and that’s why football, baseball, and just about every sport on the planet has become a passion. Dave isn’t afraid to kill some time obsessing over politics or the far-too-frequent awards shows the consume the airwaves.