Georgia Lawmakers Team Up To Push Mobile Sports Betting With New Bill

On Jan. 31, a group of Georgia lawmakers introduced the state’s newest sports betting bill, blazing the trail for a potential legalization in 2023.

SB 57 Details

The bill – SB 57 –would issue 18 online sportsbook licenses in the state, nine of which would be distributed based on a competitive bidding process. The other nine would be reserved for the state’s professional sports teams and establishments. Five licenses would be awarded to the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Dream, and Atlanta FC. The other four online licenses would be issued to Augusta National, PGA Tour, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Michelin Raceway.

The application fee for all 18 of these operators is $100,000; there is an annual renewal fee of $1 million. The bill also legalizes the establishment of retail sports betting kiosks – retail distributor licensees are subject to a $10,000 application fee and $100,000 renewal fee. There will be between five and 10 retail distributors who receive a license.

Operators would be subject to a 20% tax rate on adjusted sports wagering revenue. The tax revenue would be redirected to the Georgia State Lottery, which funds education.

“It’s going to go to the lottery and they are going to continue to fund HOPE scholarship and Pre-K, so it’s going to the Georgia lottery and so there is nothing in this bill that says money has to be earmarked for healthcare or anything else,” Brandon Breach, a sponsor of the bill, said in an interview.

SB 57 allows for betting on both professional and college sports, which includes two-time reigning CFP National Champions, the Georgia Bulldogs.

Legislative Details

The Georgia Sports Betting Commission would be created with the passage of the bill to help regulate and monitor the state’s sports betting activity.

The Georgia Constitution prohibits three categories of gambling – casino gambling, pari-mutuel betting, and privately-operated lotteries. Because SB 57 does not include sports wagering at casinos, this bill can pass without a Constitutional amendment – in other words, it does not need to go on a ballot to be approved.

Georgia Sports Betting Outlook

The bill, dubbed the Georgia Sports Betting Integrity Act, has bipartisan support and eleven different sponsors backing the bill, which bodes well for its passage. However, this is not the first attempt that Georgia lawmakers have made to get sports betting into the state. SB 142, which also sought to legalize 18 online sportsbooks, failed in 2022. There were also attempts in 2021 and 2020.

Supporters of the bill are hoping that the tax revenue potential will be enough to convince fellow lawmakers to get on board. The American Gaming Association reported that over $50 billion was wagered on sports last year, a cornerstone to this argument.

To help its case even more, lieutenant governor Burt Jones is an outspoken supporter of sports betting. Gov. Brian Kemp has also warmed up to the idea, though he declined to comment on the bill as it’s moving through the General Assembly.

The legislative session will come to an end at the beginning of April, so lawmakers have until then to pass this for a potential 2023 legalization.