Georgia’s hopes of legalizing digital sports betting were dashed on Thursday as the state legislature failed to advance a constitutional amendment and supporting bill before the key crossover deadline. Despite strong backing from professional sports teams, business groups, and Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, neither proposal made it to a vote in the House, effectively sidelining the issue for 2025.
The proposed legislation included a constitutional amendment to bring digital sports betting to the state and House Bill 686, which set out a framework with a 24% tax rate on wagering revenue. The measures were intended to generate significant funds for education, with 85% of the first $150 million in revenue earmarked for Georgia’s universal pre-K program and HOPE scholarships.
Thursday’s deadline required each chamber of Georgia’s legislature to pass its own bills to the opposite chamber, and the failure to do so means the sports betting measures are now unlikely to proceed this session.
While lawmakers could theoretically revive the bills before the session ends, the more realistic scenario is that the measures might be considered again during the 2026 legislative cycle.
Chuck Martin, Chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, who had supported the proposal, suggested the legislation might have been introduced too late in the session to gain sufficient traction. “It came in late and I guess people just weren’t there yet,” Martin said.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of a referendum in 2026, saying: “We’ll keep working with people and trying to do what’s in the best interest of the state.”
Georgia’s struggle to legalize sports betting reflects broader national challenges in the remaining states where gambling is still prohibited. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on commercial sports betting in 2018, 39 states, including Missouri most recently, have legalized the practice. However, states like Minnesota, California, and Texas have also seen recent proposals falter.
Opposition in Georgia came from both sides of the aisle. Some Republican lawmakers voiced concerns that legalizing sports betting could lead to increased gambling addiction, particularly among young people. Meanwhile, without Democratic support, the constitutional amendment could not secure the two-thirds majority required to pass.
House Minority Whip Sam Park indicated that Democrats would only support the measure if it included provisions to direct tax revenue specifically toward educational initiatives, including universal pre-K.
Supporters of the measure argued that legalizing sports betting could bring significant revenue to the state while providing consumer protections that are not available in the existing black market for gambling.
State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, who sponsored the measure, stated this point: “I believe strongly, and Georgians by wide margins agree with me, that this change will not only bring in much needed revenue to educate our youngest learners but also provide consumer protections that don’t exist in today’s black market.”
While Missouri prepares to launch its legal sports betting market later this year and Hawaii inches closer to legalizing online betting, Georgia’s legislative roadblock signals that the state will not be joining the growing list of sports betting states any time soon.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/03/07/97302-georgias-sports-betting-hopes-fade-as-legislative-session-closes-without-a-vote
