Georgia sports betting bill chances evaporate

Georgia has lost its chance at sports betting, as the general assembly never called for the vote. It’ll likely be pushed back to 2026, when the state can next put it on the ballot.

The House’s deadline was on Thursday, with AP reporting that House Higher Education Committee Chairman Chuck Martin claimed that it “came in late” and it’s possible that the “people weren’t there yet”.

On Wednesday, March 5, the same committee amended the potential tax rate for gambling earnings from 20% to 24%. It also shot down an amendment that would make sports betting legal in the state before it ever reached any chance of hitting the floor.

US states are in complete control of whether or not sports betting is legal, with the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act being overturned in 2018. Rather than allowing the federal government to dictate what was happening country-wide, states like Georgia must decide for themselves.

While the bill was entirely snubbed by lawmakers, it still has a chance of success come next November. A framework bill, HB 686, is eligible for a floor vote. This would allow the taxation and regulation of sports betting but not allow for the process itself. There’s also HR 450, which was introduced February 28, which would allow for sports betting in the state.

Sports betting is legal in 39 states in the US. Those still holding out are either stuck in bureaucratic dances like in Georgia or have seen equivalent bills and votes shot down by lawmakers and the general public. Hawaii is one of the latest states to allow it.

In 2022, California pushed back against a bill that would have legalized sports betting, while Missouri is expected to allow it later this year.

The bill hasn’t gotten the full support of Republicans or Democrats. However, it appears Democrats already have an idea of what to do with the tax leveraged against sports betting. Sam Park from Lawrenceville has said that it’d go towards education like prekindergarten.

Featured image: Wikicommons, Unsplash

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