In a 41-10 vote, the Georgia Senate has passed SR 135, which would place a sports betting question on next year’s ballot. The Senate also approved SB 142, which would regulate Georgia sports betting.
Both Senate bills now head to the House, where sports betting legislation is among the legislation help up by a disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over Republican-sponsored bills that would end certain voting rights.
A House a subcommittee approved HB 86, a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to approve legalizing casinos, sports betting and parimutuel betting on horseracing.
State Senator Jeff Mullis, who sponsored both sports betting bills in the Senate, said, “A no vote for this bill is allowing the bookies to continue to control sports betting, the bookies, the illegal activity. The yes vote is to allow the people to decide. The conference committee that will probably be formed from this issue will have representation from all sides in this chamber. So that’s where the changes may be made, that you will have a hand in it by everyone being represented in the conference committee properly.”
However, observers said it’s unclear if a constitutional amendment is required to legalize sports betting. Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee Chairman Bill Cowsert, co-sponsor of SR 135, said, “We had the legislative counsel’s office give us an opinion: does sports betting require a constitutional amendment? And our legislative counsel’s office says yes, it does.” He added, “This is not currently permitted under our state constitution. Sports betting’s a lottery game? Well if it was, we could have been doing it for years.”
House Economic Development and Tourism Committee Chairman Ron Stephens’ bill to legalize sports gambling has yet to receive a vote. Stephens has argued a constitutional amendment is not needed as long as the Georgia Lottery Corp. is put in charge of sports betting.
Over the years, numerous polls have indicated a majority of Georgia voters would support legalized gambling if a statewide referendum was held. State Rep. Alan Powell said, “Let folks vote on it. They’re the only ones who can make the decision.”
The original legislation was limited to casinos, with a portion of the proceeds directed to the HOPE Scholarship program. A more recent version of the also extended legalized gambling to horseracing and sports betting. In a newer version, casino and horseracing proceeds would be directed to health care, and sports betting revenue would go to needs-based scholarships.
House Democrats said directing sports-betting proceeds to needs-based scholarships would help line up support for the constitutional amendment from the Democratic Caucus.
However, constitutional amendments require two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate, meaning the legislation faces a significant challenge.
Powell said if the constitutional amendment clears the legislature this session, an enabling bill spelling out casino gambling, sports betting and parimutuel horseracing details would follow next year. The statewide referendum would take place in November 2022.
The two bills are similar in that wagerers must be 21 years old, and the Georgia Lottery would grant a minimum of six sports betting licenses; the House would require a fee of $900,000 a year and the Senate would charge $100,000 annually and require at least one-third of sports betting licenses must go to businesses owned by minorities, veterans or women. Other differences arise in taxation, with the House bill taxing sports betting revenue at 20 percent and the Senate at 16 percent. Also under the Senate bill, bettors could not wager on Georgia college sports.
Atlanta’s four major league professional sports teams support sports betting legislation, noting it will help keep fans engaged in games.
