Georgia state Rep. Ron Stephens has sponsored HB 677 that would allow casinos gambling in the state, under the oversight of the renamed Georgia Lottery and Gaming Commission. The measure would require a minimal investment of up to billion to build two casino resorts in Atlanta, and one each in Savannah, Macon, Columbus and South Georgia. About 10,000 jobs would be created, “a huge economic impact for Georgia. We’re hoping to recapture the lost revenue leaving Georgia going to Alabama, North Carolina and Florida,” Stephens said. Political consultant Chip Lake, a member of the Committee to Preserve HOPE Scholarships, added, “Destination casinos will be so limited in nature that each of the regions in the state will only be allowed one, except Atlanta. It’s the inverse of Las Vegas.”
In addition, Lake said if HB 677 is passed and approved by voters, the HOPE scholarship program would gain more than $30 million annually. “We are supporting this piece of legislation in order to allow so many more people to take advantage of the HOPE. And also, we want to preserve the HOPE Scholarship for future generations,” Lake said.
Bill co-sponsor state Rep. Stacey Evans noted even more casino tax revenue could be directed to the scholarships. “It depends on how much money is generated from casino gambling and what tax rate is charged to the casinos. It will be higher than the 12 percent in the original bill draft,” she said.
The measure also would rename the Georgia Lottery Corporation as the Georgia Lottery and Gaming Commission. The agency would manage all casino operations and make recommendations to the governor regarding treatment of problem gamblers.
Accompanying legislation, Georgia House Resolution 807, is a constitutional amendment that would authorize, operate and regulate the possible casino resort license areas of operation in Georgia; only six of these licenses can be active at any time in the state.
Stephens noted casino resorts would be placed near airports or interstates. “93 million people come through the airport a year, and after they vote for it, ordinances would have to created on the local level,” he said.
As of June 2014, the Georgia Lottery generated more than $230 million for the Lottery for Education account, according to Lottery figures. However, since 1995, the Georgia Lottery dropped by about 11 percent due to the popularity of scratch-off lottery tickets versus draw games like Cash 3 and PowerBall, which bring in more money.
Accordingly, “We changed the HOPE plan about three years ago. But it wasn’t going up enough. Our best and brightest were staying home, our schools were full and the demands were stripping our supply. We were using our reserves to the point that funding for HOPE was zero,” Stephens said, adding, “If you’re for the HOPE Scholarship, you have to be for gambling. They’re inextricably linked.”
