The topic of online sports betting is being raised again in Georgia after a Senate study committee recommended legalizing the gaming vertical in the state.
The Senate Study Committee on Making Georgia the No. 1 State for Tourism suggested that legalizing online sports betting could unlock new opportunities for the Peach State. The study committee is comprised of Sens. Frank Ginn, Russ Goodman, Sonya Halpern and Emanuel Jones. Sen. Drew Echols serves as the committee’s chairman.
Georgia lawmakers want to leverage gaming revenue
The committee suggested the state could use gaming revenue to attracting major events to the area. The major events, which include sports and concerts, can increase visitor spending in the state, which reached $45.2 billion in 2024, according to data provided by the committee.
During a presentation by a panel of sports professionals, the committee was informed of North Carolina’s use of sports betting revenue to attract major events to the Tar Heel State. The panel included Atlanta Braves SVP of Communications Jennifer Mastin Giglio, Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment President Tim Zulawski, Atlanta Hawks CCO Andrew Saltzman and Metro Atlanta Chamber Senior Director of Government Affairs Nick Fernandez.
“We’ll see if that’s taken up next year and where that issue lies,” Fernandez told The Center Square. “We certainly see sports betting as a potential revenue source for major sporting events.”
Previous online sports betting efforts in Georgia
Georgia lawmakers are set to once again discuss sports betting in 2026 after several pieces of legislation failed to reach the state’s full chamber earlier this year.
Rep. Marcus Wiedower proposed two bills that would have allowed sports wagering to be placed on the November 2026 ballot and set licensing and tax rate terms for betting. The measures proposed sports betting with regulation by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, with up to 16 licenses available in the state. The bills were Wiedower’s last opportunity to legalize sports wagering in Georgia after he stepped down from his seat in October.
Sen. Billy Hickman also proposed a bill, Senate Resolution 131, that proposed online sports betting and retail and online casinos. The measure failed to progress after being rejected by a 9-2 vote by the state’s Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities.
The Senate committee failed to pass the bill amid opposition of sports betting in the House.
