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Once again, Georgia’s attempt to legalize sports betting has stumbled, with the latest effort falling through during the General Assembly’s session on the night of March 28. Despite making it through the Senate in less than three weeks, the proposed legislation did not reach the House floor for a vote.
In the early hours of Thursday, two key bills aimed at legalizing sports betting, including a constitutional amendment and its enabling legislation, managed to pass the House Higher Education Committee. Insiders noted that the committee was ready to advance the package even the night before, giving lawmakers roughly 15 hours to forge a deal before the session’s close. However, the House Rules Committee, meeting multiple times that Thursday, opted not to move forward with the bill.
This marks the fourth consecutive session where Georgia’s legislators have failed to agree on legal sports betting, turning it into a contentious issue for the second time. Back in 2021, the dynamics shifted dramatically when state Democrats withdrew their support following the passage of a controversial voting rights bill by Republicans. This year, despite the Republicans’ efforts to secure the necessary support, they fell short of achieving the two-thirds majority needed in the House for a constitutional amendment, although they succeeded in the Senate.
The proposed constitutional amendment, SR 579, saw last-minute changes on Thursday morning, aiming to set aside 15% of tax revenue—up to a $22.5 million annual cap—for problem and responsible gambling initiatives, the highest earmarks of their kind in the nation.
As negotiations persisted, it became evident that opinions in Atlanta were deeply divided, impacting the likelihood of the sports betting legislation reaching a vote. Had the resolution been presented on the floor, plans were in place to propose a second amendment. This amendment would reduce the allocation for problem and responsible gambling to 5% of tax revenue and alter the distribution of other funds.