Time is beginning to run thin as lawmakers race to the finish line to try to get a Georgia sports betting bill, that everyone can agree on, passed. But the time for talk is running short because they only have a few days left. The current legislative session is quickly coming to a close.
Senator Bill Cowsert leads the legislative push for the proposed constitutional amendment, Senate Resolution 579 (SR 579), which works together with Senate Bill 386 (SB 386) and aims to legalize sports betting in Georgia. He emphasizes the importance of a statewide referendum to make this decision, instead of relying solely on legislative action.
“When you have this major a policy shift, the public ought to be allowed a buy-in, to vote on it,” said Cowsert. He contends that legalizing sports betting in Georgia could get Georgians who are already doing it illegally to stop. It would also allow the state to take advantage of the millions of dollars of potential tax revenue that legalized sports betting could generate.
What Would the Amendment Bring?
The Georgia Lottery Corp. would oversee a gaming commission that the constitutional amendment would create to regulate sports betting. Sports betting would generate adjusted gross revenues, and the state would receive 20% of this.
If sports betting becomes legal through a change in the constitution, then the state can decide how to use the money it gets from sports betting taxes. Georgia’s HOPE Scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs would receive 80%. A fund would receive fifteen percent to educate Georgians about the dangers of problem gambling.
The remaining 5% would be used to market sporting events in Georgia. However, committee Chairman Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, plans to remove this provision from the measure on Monday. He believes that organizations interested in state support for sports marketing should compete for those funds through the budget process.
The constitutional amendment is accompanied by an “enabling” bill, which the Senate also passed last month. The enabling measure includes details of how sports betting would be regulated in Georgia, including the process for awarding licenses to bookmakers.
Time Running Short For Lawmakers
Georgia’s current legislative session will conclude on March 28th. The House of Representatives still needs to approve the legislation, and the Senate may need to concur if any amendments pass.
The standing proposal for the bill grants 16 online sports betting licenses. The distribution of these licenses is as follows:
- Georgia’s professional sports teams, namely the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta United FC, and Atlanta Dream, will receive five.
- The Augusta National Golf Course, the PGA Tour, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the Georgia Lottery Corporation will each receive one.
- The Gaming Commission will distribute the remaining seven licenses.
Operating licenses would cost $1 million annually to renew and applicants would have to pay a $100,000 application fee. It would allow for bets on college sports.
In 1992, Georgia residents last voiced their opinion on gaming expansion when they approved an amendment to allow a state lottery. Cowsert hopes the outcome of sports betting follows the same path.
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