Efforts by Georgia lawmakers to legalize sports betting fizzle again

ATLANTA – It seems 2025 is not the 12 months for legalized sports activities betting in Georgia.

Efforts to ship a state constitutional modification to voters failed Thursday within the state legislature, as neither the modification nor a invoice laying out particulars ever got here to a vote within the Home.

Voters in Missouri narrowly approved sports activities betting in a 2024 referendum, making it the thirty ninth state to legalize the observe. However like in Georgia, legalization faces excessive hurdles within the 10 remaining states that bar sports activities playing.

Thursday was the deadline for every Georgia chamber to cross its personal laws to the other chamber. The measures nonetheless could possibly be revived within the final month of the session, however it a lot much less seemingly. Lawmakers may nonetheless contemplate the measures within the 2026 half of Georgia’s two-year session.

“It got here in late and I assume individuals simply weren’t there but,” mentioned Home Larger Training Committee Chairman Chuck Martin, an Alpharetta Republican, referring to a invoice and constitutional modification that had been launched solely final week.

“We’ll hold working with individuals and making an attempt to do what’s in the most effective curiosity of the state,” Martin mentioned, saying a referendum was nonetheless attainable in on the November 2026 poll.

Sports activities wagering is backed by Atlanta’s skilled sports activities groups, enterprise teams and Republican Lt. Gov Burt Jones. However these highly effective proponents have struggled to cross a regulation within the seven legislative periods for the reason that U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 struck down a federal regulation that banned business sports activities betting in most states.

In Minnesota, a proposal failed on a 6-6- tie vote in a Senate committee on Feb. 13, despite the fact that the sponsor mentioned his invoice was supported by the state’s 11 Native American tribes, which function casinos, the state’s two horse racing tracks, charitable playing operations and native sports activities groups.

California voters rejected wagering in 2022. A proposal to legalize sports activities betting handed the Texas Home in 2023, however the state Senate spurned the proposal.

One state the place the difficulty is making progress is Hawaii, the place the state Home on Tuesday handed a invoice that might legalize on-line sports activities betting.

Missouri is presently making guidelines and taking functions from sportsbooks, with the launch of authorized betting delayed till late summer time or early fall.

With out Democratic votes in Georgia, a constitutional modification couldn’t obtain the two-thirds majorities must cross the state Home and Senate.

Republicans within the state are removed from unified. Some GOP lawmakers oppose sports activities betting, warning that legalizing sports activities betting will present a pathway to dependancy, particularly for youthful gamblers.

Home Minority Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, mentioned Wednesday that his social gathering needs to prioritize use of any tax cash for prekindergarten. That was a part of the constitutional modification proposed by Martin’s committee.

Supporters have argued that Georgians ought to get an opportunity to vote, arguing many already wager on sports activities illegally.

“I imagine strongly — and Georgians by vast margins agree with me — that this transformation is not going to solely usher in a lot wanted income to teach our youngest learners but in addition present client protections that don’t exist in in the present day’s black market,” State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, the Watkinsville Republican who sponsored the measure, mentioned in an announcement

Of the 38 states that presently permit sports activities betting, some permit solely in-person bets, though most allow electronic betting from anyplace.