In Georgia, gambling bills are slow to be introduced in the legislature, said Senate Regulated Industries Chairman Bill Cowsert. “We don’t know where the governor is on a lot of these things. They could be waiting to figure that out.” Newly elected Governor Brian Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan both have said they oppose casino gambling but they haven’t been asked about their positions on other forms of gambling.
A proposal for a referendum on whether voters want to allow targeted destination casinos has essentially faded away. No lawmaker has talked about resurrecting a bill regulating daily fantasy sports and none have introduced sports betting legislation.
House Economic Development and Tourism Chairman Ron Stephens said he won’t push for casino gambling this year. “We’ve had the lottery for more than 25 years. We’re at that point after 25 years that we need to reassess if we want to do it or we don’t want to do it,” he said. The lottery has funded HOPE scholarships since 1993.
Stephens said he plans to file legislation to establish a gaming commission to oversee all forms of gambling in the state. The bill also would put the issue of gambling to a statewide vote; if voters express support for gambling, the new commission would recommend and regulate it.
Another difference this year is the drop in donations from casino interests. For example, MGM Resorts International gave $50,000 to a liberal political action committee in September, and gambling equipment company IGT Global Solutions gave $25,000 to the Georgia Republican Party and an additional $6,600 to Kemp. Those amounts are significantly lower compared to the 2016 session when gambling interests contributed more than $200,000 to the campaigns of leading legislators.
Horseracing also is getting attention in the legislature. In the past, lawmakers proposed allowing racinos. This year Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Brandon Beach sponsored a bill focusing solely on horseracing. “We need to be in the equine industry. There’s more to it than racing. There’s horse farms and hay farms and breeding and auctions,” he said, noting Georgia needs to take advantage of the 80,000 horses that travel from Florida facilities, including Tampa Bay Downs, to Kentucky’s Keeneland Racecourse. The bill would direct a percentage of revenue to HOPE scholarships and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Beach also said he supports a mixed-use racetrack to boost the economy in Middle and South Georgia. Dean Reeves, the president of the Georgia Horse Racing Coalition and owner of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, said although horseraces only would be held for a few weeks each year, the facility would be open for other events. “Horseracing is a full-blown industry that brings hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue and income and creates jobs,” Reeves said.
Cowsert previously opposed a racino but said he was “more comfortable’ with Beach’s latest proposal. “They can come and make their case,” he said.
Still, conservative groups and faith leaders oppose all forms of gambling. Faith and Freedom Coalition of Georgia lobbyist Virginia Galloway said the group will oppose any efforts to expand gambling. ”We stand ready to do whatever needs to be done to ensure our state isn’t degraded in this way,” Galloway said.
