There’s a lot to do and not much time to do it if Georgia is going to legalize sports betting this year or at the ballot box in 2026. After a Georgia Senate committee shot down a sports betting-related resolution last week, the focus turns to the state House of Representatives to see if it can pass legislation and cross over to the other chamber before Thursday's deadline.
Republican Rep. Marcus Wiedower and like-minded lawmakers filed two pieces of legislation last week that could lead to Georgia sports betting legalization. That is, of course, if they have enough backing in the legislature.
Both measures are scheduled for a committee hearing Tuesday that will provide insight into the House's mood. One of the Senate's concerns was the House's past hangups regarding sports betting, which helped to kill previous legalization efforts.
Buzzer beater bills
Georgia’s legislature is also scheduled to adjourn Apr. 4. So, even if the House passes sports betting-related legislation by Thursday, it won’t leave the Senate a lot of time to discuss it or make any changes.
Last year’s effort to legalize sports betting in Georgia came down to the wire, and it looks like this year will be a similar situation — and that’s only if supporters are lucky.
The first House measure set for debate this week is House Resolution 450, which proposes amending the Georgia constitution to allow the General Assembly to pass a sports betting-enabling bill. If two-thirds of lawmakers pass it, voters would be asked the following question on their 2026 general election ballot:
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize sports betting in this state to provide additional funding for pre-kindergarten and HOPE scholarships?"
If a majority of voters say yes, it would then be up to lawmakers to get legal sports betting over the finish line. However, H.R. 450 does have some guidelines for how sports wagering would look in the southern state, such as creating a special trust fund to house sports gambling proceeds.
Of the first $150 million in annual proceeds, 15% would be appropriated for addiction and problem gambling services. The General Assembly would then appropriate the other 85% of the first $150 million in proceeds, and then 100% beyond that, for voluntary pre-kindergarten and other educational programs.
The resolution also ensures the Georgia Lottery Corp. could offer sports betting. Other than that, lawmakers would have to fill in the remaining blanks.
In this way, H.R. 450 is similar to Senate Resolution 131, which a committee rejected last week. S.R. 131 was light on details as well, but included directions for how to use tax revenue and included casino authorization.
Door number two
The other measure the Georgia House's Higher Education Committee is scheduled to discuss Tuesday is House Bill 686, which would bypass a referendum. Whether supporters need a ballot measure to offer sports betting in the state at all has been a long-running debate.
At any rate, the proposed “Georgia Sports Betting Act” would authorize online event wagering under the eye of the Georgia Lottery, which could also take bets. The proposed legislation is far more prescriptive than H.R. 450.
H.B. 686 says the lottery corporation can issue up to 16 online sports betting licenses, five reserved for Georgia's professional sports teams, one for the PGA Tour, one for Augusta National Golf Club (home of the Masters), one for the Atlanta Motor Speedway's owner, and one for the lottery itself.
Legislation To Legalize Mobile Sports Betting In Georgia Filed
— Rahul Bali (@rahulbali) February 28, 2025
It includes a proposed constitutional amendment that would have to approved by Georgia voters.
Money would go to Georgia Lottery-funded programs HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K. #gapol
More here: https://t.co/M868p2kfQ1 pic.twitter.com/D2GhiLJPQ9
The other seven online sports betting licenses are standalone permits, meaning they're not "tethered" to those teams or facilities and will be awarded via a public procurement process. At any rate, any so-called "Type 1" licensee can contract with an online sports betting services provider to run a book on their behalf.
Online sports betting licensees would have to pay a 20% tax on their adjusted gross income, in addition to a $100,000 application fee and a $1 million annual licensing fee. The tax revenue raised would go to fund state education, such as via tuition grants and voluntary pre-kindergarten programs.
Bettors would have to be 21 or older under the proposed legislation. Online sportsbooks would also be banned from offering college prop bets.
There's more, but all of it is moot if the committee and the House don't pass the bill this week. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
