After years of pushback from conservative and religious interests, observers in Georgia said legislators have been negotiating behind closed doors to try to simplify measures that would allow voters to say yes or no to gambling. Any gambling bill would require a statewide voter referendum to approve a constitutional amendment.
State Senator Brandon Beach said, “It’s going on anyway through bookies and so on. We might as well generate the revenue that we can do and get it done right.” Beach added legal gambling would benefit Georgia’s HOPE scholarship program, which is funded through the Georgia Lottery.
House Speaker David Ralston noted, “There is an appetite this session that I haven’t seen before to do something” to pass a gambling bill. Observers said gambling supporters seem to be willing to stop promoting casinos if they can get a sports betting bill passed this session. A sports wagering measure passed the Senate last year; it’s currently stalled in the House.
Gambling opponents still have significant influence in Georgia. Mike Griffin, a lobbyist for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said, “There are 60 to 80 lobbyists down here every year representing some facet of gambling. And yet it’s not passed.” Griffin noted he has succeeded against dozens of highly paid professional lobbyists.
Griffin said, “I think that the gambling industry sees Georgia as some sort of virgin territory that they can come to. It’s an industry that’s based off of people losing.” He noted gambling advertising is difficult to avoid, especially during broadcast coverage of sporting events. Bally, for example, purchased the name of the sports channels that now show Atlanta Braves games. The Braves and other professional teams have endorsed legalized sports wagering. “You can’t even watch golf now without ’em wanting you to gamble,” Griffin said.
