Georgia Senate Votes Against Legalizing Sports Betting
Georgia Senate rejects bill to legalize sports betting and horse races, while other proposals are still under consideration.
Sports betting advocates in Georgia were disappointed on Thursday when the state Senate rejected Senate Bill 57, which would have authorized sports betting and horse race wagering. The legislation was defeated by a vote of 37-19. If passed, the bill would have instructed the state lottery to set up sports betting and allowed wagers on horse races, with the requirement that any winnings at the track were paid by the track or another company rather than the betting pool. The traditional setup, which allows for odds to change right up to race time, is known as pari-mutuel betting.
Proponents of sports gambling argued that the state of Georgia could benefit financially from the illegal betting already taking place. Georgia currently bans pari-mutuel betting and casinos, and advocates have been trying to legalize sports betting for several years. However, the Georgia Constitution bans such activities, which means a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the General Assembly and approval by a majority of voters statewide would be required to amend it. Republican lawmakers do not have a two-thirds majority in either legislative chamber, and some party members object to gambling on moral grounds.
A proposal to exclude horse racing from sports betting is awaiting a vote in the Georgia House, while a proposition that would allow voters to decide on sports betting via a referendum could still receive a vote in the Senate. Governor Brian Kemp has indicated his willingness to legalize sports betting.
While lawmakers on both sides of the issue debate the pros and cons of legalizing sports betting, the sense of inevitability is growing that Georgia will eventually approve some form of sports betting. Currently, 34 states permit sports betting, but only a few allow in-person gambling.
Opponents of sports betting argue that gambling should not be expanded beyond the state lottery, which generates around $1.5 billion in annual revenue for pre-kindergarten programs and college scholarships. Some lawmakers believe that expanding gambling would have adverse effects on society.
“The issue of gambling is that there’s always a loser,” said Sen. Marty Harbin, a Tyrone Republican. “There can never be a winner without a loser if the game is fair, and the other part is the house always wins.”
The defeated Senate Bill 57 would have required all proceeds from sports betting and horse race wagering to be spent on prekindergarten and college scholarships, which are already being funded by the state lottery. The bill was sponsored by Senator Billy Hickman, a Statesboro Republican and horse racing owner and enthusiast. Hickman argued that horse racing would be more economically advantageous than other sports because it would support farmers and horse breeders.
Former state Supreme Court Justice Harold Melton penned an opinion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, stating that sports betting could be authorized without amending the state Constitution. The business group and professional sports teams in Atlanta support the House bill to legalize sports betting.
Despite the setback, sports betting supporters are optimistic that they will eventually succeed in their efforts to legalize sports betting in Georgia. It remains to be seen whether the state House and Senate can reach an agreement on legislation to legalize sports betting in Georgia in the near future.