Several Georgia state legislators met in Atlanta recently with representatives from the Entain Foundation, which advocates for responsible gambling, sports integrity and gambling regulation research, education and treatment.
The group discussed strategies for passing a gambling bill in 2024 after unsuccessful attempts to legalize sports betting, horse racing and casino gambling. Among the topics presented were whether to present the proposals in one bill or as standalone measures; combating gambling addiction; revenue distribution; and types of gambling to permit.
Entain Trustee Bill Pascrell, a partner at the lobbying firm PPAG, said he had been approached by several Georgia legislators asking how Georgia could join other states that have legalized retail and online sports betting and casino gambling. According to WABE, Pascrell said, “Georgia, as you can imagine, has politically a lot of issues including the Trump indictment, so there’s a little bit of a distraction at the moment but I feel pretty positive Georgia is going to move betting on next year along with a few other states.”
Martin Lycka, senior vice president for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, said Georgia would benefit tremendously from gaming tax revenue as well as from companies’ spending on marketing and other costs that would trickle down into local communities.
Per WABE, Lycka added that Georgians also would benefit from “consumer protection legislation in order to clamp down on any black market. Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that Georgians are not betting at this moment.”
During the last legislative session, several sports betting bills failed to make it out of either chamber. Also, legislators faced increasing pressure from the public to legalize horse racing parimutuel betting and casino gambling.
The influential Georgia Baptist Mission Board also was instrumental in blocking sports betting legislation. The board’s lobbyist, Mike Griffin, acknowledged legalizing sports wagering will be proposed in the 2024 session.
According to WABE, he said, “Sports gambling is one of the most dangerous forms of gambling because of its easy accessibility and its ability to create addiction. While I know it is being said that many are already doing this kind of gambling anyway, we must understand that just because somebody is doing something illegal does not mean that it should be made legal.”
Pascrell noted legal gaming in Georgia could help officials identify individuals with gambling problems, unlike if they’re wagering through unregulated channels like offshore sports books and casinos. He said, “If you don’t regulate it, you can’t track it, you can’t monitor it. And unlike alcohol and drug use, it’s really not readily apparent whether somebody’s having a gambling addiction problem. The only way to penetrate and have an impact on problem gambling in a particular jurisdiction is to regulate it.”
Another issue concerns how to distribute gaming tax revenue and fees. Several state lawmakers agreed most of the funds should be directed toward the state lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K programs, as well as needs-based scholarships.
Entain is a co-owner with Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts of the online sportsbook BetMGM.
