Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia, recently announced she supports expanding gambling in the state. Abrams said, “I’m calling on a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting and casinos in Georgia. This will serve as a permanent source of revenue to underwrite broader access to education. We can afford it and we must do it.”
Abrams added she would use gambling revenue to offer free technical college and restore the state’s HOPE scholarship program. She noted casinos also would create more jobs.
The day after Abrams’ announcement, Gov. Brian Kemp essentially said he supports the status quo. Kemp said the state’s economy is in good shape and more than 50,000 jobs were added in the past year. He said, “What we have done is focused on creating great economic opportunity regardless of whether we have a casino or not. You can see our track record over the last two years and really over the last decade in Georgia has been one of bringing that opportunity for our citizens. That’s what I’m focused on.”
Kemp added, “This is the thing about my position on casino gambling−it hasn’t changed. I’m at the same place I’ve always have been. To be able to do that here, it’s gonna take a constitutional amendment. It doesn’t really matter what the governor thinks, you can’t veto a constitutional amendment.”
In 1992, Georgia voters approved a referendum creating the Georgia Lottery, with revenue directed to education. Since then, lawmakers of both parties have sought to legalize casino gambling, sports betting and horse racetracks. However, they have not been able to come up with the two-thirds majority vote required in the legislature to hold another referendum on a constitutional amendment.
Several Republican legislators have opposed expanded gambling due to moral issues. Some Democrats have expressed concern over how gambling revenue would be spent.
The stalemate in Georgia comes as dozens of states, including neighboring Tennessee, have legalized online sports betting in the aftermath of a 2018 Supreme Court decision that allowed all states to do so.
Kemp stated Georgia has not been affected in terms of falling behind other states that offer a full menu of gambling options.
