As the gaming landscape continues to evolve in the United States, four Georgia senators are eying legislation to bring sports betting and casino activities to the Peach State.
Senate Resolution 101, filed Tuesday, would give Georgians the chance to place legal sports wagers should it pass.
Online sports betting is now legally operative in 38 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., though expansion is imminent. Missouri is slated to launch services this summer after passing legislation in November. Several other states, including neighboring Alabama, are expected to explore the topic in 2025.
As part of the resolution, Republican Sen. Carden Summers, Billy Hickman, Brandon Beach, and Lee Anderson are calling for a 20% tax rate on all gaming operators and the creation of a new gaming commission to oversee regulations. It also calls for the licensing of at least eight retail casinos. Online casino play remains illegal in Georgia, as is the case for most of the U.S.
Legislators would need to approve the proposed amendment with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House next month before clearing another hurdle by the end of the legislative session on April 5. If legalized betting and in-person casinos are approved — notably, Gov. Brian Kemp has been a long-time supporter of legalized gambling — it would head to the November 2026 general election. It’d then be up to the voters to sign off.
A 2024 attempt to legalize gambling in Georgia survived the Senate but was ultimately shot down because of disagreements on how to use the proceeds from gaming. This was despite estimates that sports betting could generate at least $100 million in annual state tax revenue. Some opponents also voiced concerns about the addictive behaviors associated with betting. A plan was also nixed in 2023.
The subject has been a growing issue of contention. Sen. Jason Esteves, a Democratic, last year called it “frustrating because so many of us generally agree about it, but year after year, we’ve seen it get stuck.”
Some lawmakers have pushed for sports betting to be legalized as an extension of the state lottery — notably, the only forms of gambling currently allowed in-state are those offered by the Georgia Lottery Commission, charity bingo, and raffles — while others insist it needs a constitutional amendment.
Last year’s bill would have allowed licenses for up to 16 operators, including five of Atlanta’s professional sports teams: the Braves (MLB), Falcons (NFL), Hawks (NBA), Dream (WNBA) and Atlanta United FC (MLS). The Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Professional Golf Association, and Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters Tournament, also would have received one each.
As other Southern states like North Carolina and Tennessee continue to see strong revenue from gaming, calls for legalization across the Peach State are only going to get louder. Polling conducted by GeoComply, a market leader for geolocation services, found more than 40,000 attempts from Georgians to access legal sportsbooks on a given NFL Sunday.
For now, state residents have little choice but to wait.
Doug Bonjour
