The state of Georgia is creeping its way towards legal sports betting, but optimism does not appear to be particularly high that it will ultimately happen — at least not in the current iteration being presented. Let’s get to the latest Georgia sports betting bill update.
A resolution for sports betting passed through one Georgia house committee, but it still needs to pass through the House Rules Committee, which already convened this morning. Sure, the House Rules Committee could meet again, but per AP, Georgia’s 2024 session expire soon. Like, really soon. Sundown Thursday soon, aka this evening. And on top of that, there are pretty substantial disagreements with the bill’s current status, mainly with how the taxes on sports betting would be dispersed.
Much of the tax revenue (sports betting is taxed at 25% in the resolution) is going to educational measures as it stands, and proponents and opponents agree on that. Where the disagreements come is how much for different types of educational purposes — mainly how much for prekindergarten and how much for college financial aid.
If you are in Georgia and dying for sports betting, those splitting of hairs may sound like an argument between a Lutheran and a Presbyterian, but c’est la vie.
This bill also presents a whopping 15% for responsible gaming funding, and though this would be the largest such share of any sports betting state, all sides seem to agree on this aspect of the bill.
Basically, for the bill to hit the Georgia House floor by the end of Thursday, the House Rules Committee will have to reconvene, at which point the House would have to vote two-thirds in favor to move the bill forward. THEN it would go to Georgia voters in November. The odds there seem slim, so sorry Georgia voters — 2025 looks like the earliest you’ll get the chance.
OddsShopper will keep you informed with more information as we get increased information. Stay tuned for more of the latest Georgia sports betting bill updates.
