The state of Georgia may be facing a significant wait before it can restart the process to legalize sports betting after two bills failed to meet its legislative deadline this month.
House Resolution 378 and Senate Bill 403 were intended to alter the state’s constitution to legalize sports betting, but could not achieve sufficient traction to get them over the March 12 finish line which marked ‘Crossover Day’ in the current legislative session.
Failure to win assent by Crossover Day automatically kicks any potential legislation into the long grass until the following year’s legislative session begins. There remains, however, a small window of opportunity during which amendments can be made to the wording in the bills, giving legalization the slimmest of chances during the 2020 legislative session.
The two bills put before the House both sought to legalize sports betting in the Peach State, but with online gambling striking the key differential.
Senate Bill 403 proposed the introduction of legal mobile sports wagering which would have been officiated by a new Georgia Mobile Sports Wagering Integrity Commission established under the auspices of the Georgia Lottery Corporation.
House Resolution 378, meanwhile, set out to legalize betting and gambling as well as bingo, but made no mention of online gaming.
